Networking opportunities in the local newspaper

I was religiously searching the internet day after day specifically for public relations jobs within the local area. Unfortunately, I would only find jobs located in the larger surrounding cities (most of which are an hour to an hour and a half away).However, I recently have found that my local newspaper may be the missing factor in my job search.
I previously had given up on searching through the daily-classified jobs in my local newspaper, due to disappointing results. However, this time I decided to go through each section of the newspaper. I was searching for some type of valuable information pertaining to future employment opportunities. I didn’t find the types of jobs I was looking for but I did find some valuable information.
In the Business section, I found several announcements for local ribbon-cutting ceremonies. These ceremonies are usually the grand-opening event for new businesses. Therefore, I could use this as an opportunity to offer my services by using my experience in doing advertising campaigns. Thus, I would be gaining more experience and adding valuable work to my portfolio. Unfortunately, I want to add more diversity to my portfolio and I am now pursuing more writing opportunities. Although, I would advise any Communications undergraduate, that is interested in advertising or public relations, to do an advertising campaign.
Within the Community section of the newspaper, I found brief descriptions of local clubs along with their contact information. So, not only was this an opportunity to offer volunteer work but it was also a way to begin networking within the community.
I simply had forgotten about the value of the local newspaper. I found hope of building a network of contacts and finding new opportunities, just by taking the time to look through each section of the paper.
I still believe that the internet provides more information for finding jobs. However, I now have the newspaper as another source to aid me in my job search.