OPINION/COLUMN
With our professional training, our code of ethics, and standing as a neutral third party, newspapers have been entrusted with the important task of publishing notices required by law.
It is a job we do not take lightly.
That’s why during Oklahoma Newspaper Week we are proud to remind readers of the essential role newspapers play in keeping their communities informed and connected.
We believe nothing is more important than ensuring communities have access to legal actions and intentions that could affect their property or rights.
For some time, I have heard a complaint that legal publications are not easily accessible. I’ve heard the complaint that one must buy a newspaper in order to read the legal notices they publish.
This is simply not true, and it hasn’t been for a very long time.
An online search for “Oklahoma legal notices” on Google will pull up the website oklahomanotices. com. This is a service of the Oklahoma Press Association and is paid for by member newspapers.
All legal notices published in a legal newspaper can be accessed 24-hours per day, seven days a week. These are not just the most current legal notices.
These are legal notices for the past 12 months.
For whatever reason, many in the public don’t realize this option is available and has been since 2007. The notices are searchable by various terms, by publication, and by date.
This year, we were granted by the State Legislature the first raise in prices for legal publications in 20 years. We thank our state legislators for their work on this very important and fair compensation.
Also in this legislation is a requirement for newspapers to publish the legal notices on their websites so they’re available to subscribers and non-subscribers.
This will go into effect very soon. Notices should be available to anyone who goes online to their legal newspaper website.
Legal notices keep the public informed. As we receive these notices, your local newspaper not only publishes them, but also follows up on the information as decisions are made by city and county officials.
We want you to know what is happening in your community.
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Mark Codner has served as publisher and editor of The Newcastle Pacer since 2021. He owned The Madill Record for 22 years until 2015 and later served as editor of The Edmond Sun.
