Despite all of the electronic media that are available today, thousands of individuals and families continue to rely on the Mirror as their most trusted, most important news source.

That is destined to continue, this newspaper having launched its second 150 years of service on June 13, with no intent to cut back on presenting the most important “hard” news of the day, as well as a variety of opinion viewpoints, happenings in the sports world and many other features.

It is our mission and that mission will remain intact.

Although there are people who might disagree — and maintain the right to do so — people here, for the most part, do not fear the printed word.

Rather than fearing it, they look forward to it as they prepare to launch their daily routines of myriad varieties and responsibilities.

Many of our readers say their day would begin on the proverbial wrong foot if they did not have access to their morning newspaper and the reports of world, national, state and local developments contained in it.

That remains constant even if they have the opportunity to watch television reports, listen to radio news coverage and/or “surf” news on their cellphones during the course of their day.

This is 2024 and all people old enough to comprehend and read should strive to be as informed as possible.

And while some media sources remain the object of skepticism and outright mistrust, newspaper readers tend to place the most trust in the news product compiled and produced in or around their own community by people whom many get to know and trust during the course of their lives.

Unfortunately, though, there are individuals on this planet — mainly tyrants — who fear the printed word. They also fear those of us who are dedicated to keeping the world informed — and demonstrate their insecurity by trying to eliminate — or in some cases imprison it.

That is what is happening in Russia at the hands of its leader, Vladimir Putin, and his cohorts in regard to the imprisonment of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison since March 29, 2023, based on the false accusation that the reporter was involved in espionage.

Gershkovich has been indicted and his case has been referred for trial, during which he could face secret hearings consistent with Putin’s insecurity and hatred of transparency.

As the Journal rightly pointed out in a June 7 front-page article, “Putin has portrayed himself as a defender of global stability, leading a powerful nation that offers a robust economic, military and cultural alternative to the West,” when he really is much less than the image he tries to promote.

That “being much less” and his dubious objectives are why Russia is experiencing a major population decline, with the number of births at its lowest in more than two decades.

Putin has called raising the birthrate a national priority. His goal would be easier to accomplish if he would not be having his people killed on battlefields where Russian troops should not be deployed.

According to the Journal, nearly a million Russians have fled their country since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.

His policies are a poor excuse for what he has designated as “the year of the family,” but he persists nevertheless on the foolish notion that jailing a reporter is key to resolving his country’s woes.

What a foolish, albeit dangerous, man.