Join the Daily Herald for a chat on social media

If your daily newspaper used to be the place where you could find out what was going on in your neighborhood and the world, now it's just as much a place you can go to talk about it.

Twenty years ago if you wanted to connect with the newspaper - and other readers - you could write a letter to the editor, hope that we had room for it and then wait until it ran. With any luck, by the time it ran whatever you had to say was still relevant.

Fast forward to today, where everything is instantaneous. You can comment on anything we post to our website via Facebook. No more delayed gratification.

As the Daily Herald has changed with the times, so has its role.

Sure, we still tell you about what's going on. We still try to inspire you with the stories of what your neighbors are doing. We still uncover malfeasance. And still try to make our corner of the world a little better place every day.

But more than ever, we invite you to help shape what we do, to be part of the conversation. To make the Daily Herald, in a way, a gathering place where you can learn from and exchange views with others.

We've also come to appreciate that not everyone breathlessly follows newspaper websites to get up to date on what's going on.

Many people - perhaps not you, because you're reading this - rely primarily on passalongs from friends on social media to tell them what's going on in the family, the neighborhood, the world.

We've become a big part of that conversation, too.

And we're always looking for ways to broaden our reach to those who may not be newspaper traditionalists. To let them know, dear reader, what you already do.

Of course, there are plenty of benefits to you following us on social media, too.

Follow us on our main Facebook page - facebook.com/DailyHeraldFans - and you'll learn, right between cat video posts from your aunt and your sister announcing her pregnancy who the governor just appointed to fill the comptroller vacancy.

Follow me on Facebook for my take on news of the day and get a little dose of my weird sense of humor at the same time.

Thousands of people follow our pro sports writers on Twitter, and you'll often find breaking news there. Same goes for our reporters.

Follow our photographers on Instagram to get an amazing and exotic view of the suburbs that only they can provide (really, it's fascinating.)

You'll find us on Pinterest, too. And YouTube and Google Plus and LinkedIn.

Let me be clear about something: In asking you to follow us on whatever form of social media you enjoy most, and I'm not suggesting a passive relationship. I'm asking for us to have a conversation. Facebook commenters often chat with our writers. Our tweets and yours are commented on and retweeted.

We learn a lot about what you think is news and develop plenty of stories out of social media conversations.

We talk, but we listen, too.

If you're already a social media user, take a look at the accompanying list of our social media sites and join us in the conversation.

If you use social media just to keep in touch with the grandkids who never seem to call you, then friend us on Facebook.

You never know what you'll get out of the conversation until you give it a try.

Thanks for reading.

• You can connect with Managing Editor Jim Baumann at facebook.com/baumannjim.