IN A fast-paced and rapidly evolving world there are some things worth preserving.

The presentation and dispersal of news and information in particular is changing as the digital world and social media - love it or hate it - expands and mutates.

About 65% of readers to The Gympie Times website are directed there from Facebook. People see a Gympie Times post on Facebook linked to a story on the website and, if it looks interesting, they click through to read that story. They can then also instantly see photos and video, and participate in the story by adding their comments at the bottom.

It's a two-way street. Often a comment will lead to a follow-up story, or a bunch of comments about an online story will be added when that same story appears in print.

Of course, social media is rife with fake news, fake people and opinion. It's a real issue and one every media professional is well aware of.

So, for our readers, being a source of reliable news and information is more important than ever. As is telling both sides of the story.

Yes, story ideas get picked up from social media, much like they do (and have done since the dawn of time) from the bloke at the bar or on the end of the phone, or at the barbie.

Social media is another "source” of information, and like all "sources” journalists strive to check the accuracy of that information without being too censorial.

This brave new 24/7 digital world also gives country newspapers like The Gympie Times the means to "break” local, national and global news as it happens. Something that never could have happened in the past.

Change is not easy for everyone, but it can be good too.