Some of my readers know that a small group of volunteers
established a local newspaper about five years ago. The first effort failed due
to the ego of the person acting as publisher. After a few months we severed
that relationship, took a break, and re-gathered for a second attempt. That
newspaper is still in operation and doing well.
We share the paper with two other communities. Both of those
towns receive 1200 or more copies dropped off at high traffic sites. Once a month
we mail to one of the towns’ an edition containing a business section authored
by the Chamber of Commerce serving our three communities. The paper goes to
each home and business address.
The smallest of these towns has had a difficult time with
local governance. Their public discourse is a hot debate most of the time. Poor
manners and hostile exchanges mark much of their public meetings and elections.
Opposing newspapers have been launched to sway public opinion around elections,
then disappearing for a time only to reappear when a public issue or election
is near on the horizon. This pattern of behavior has gone on for at least 40
years. It is part of the village’s persona – well known and chuckled over by
neighboring communities.
Three months ago our newspaper was approached by some people
wishing to elevate the village’s public discussion. They liked our newspaper
and its tone of collaboration, logic and good manners. Our paper in their mind
is pleasant to read and positive in nature – a perfect partner, they said, to
get their message across and help the village work through its differences.
So we agreed to be a partner in this process but told them
we are unfamiliar with the details and facts of their community. As involved
residents they would be better at researching and writing articles covering
public bodies. They agreed and began submitting copy for print.
We were first pleased with some of the material as mature
and well thought out; well phrased, too. But content was often peppered with
words of judgment or taking sides on an issue. Normally a news article reports
on what various parties said or who supported which votes on which agenda
items. Why they took such action is left up to the reader unless the reporter
seeks answers to quote from the participants.
Conclusions and positions on an issue are usually left to an
editorial or a columnist’s analysis and opinion. Letters to the editor can take
strong positions as well but those are not the views of the newspaper. A
well-rounded presentation of various letter writers is healthy and instructive
for all readers. It also makes for spicy reading!
It soon became clear that the volunteer writers from the
village wanted freedom to air their views as news articles. We edited them accordingly
and attempted to acculturate them in the ways of journalism. But they resisted.
In fact they insisted they were reporting the truth and that we were
obstructing their efforts.
Without their cooperation I removed myself from the editing
of their material and left this task to a seasoned professional. He experienced
the same difficulty as I had. He soon lamented that we had agreed to work with
this group of volunteers in a town of which we didn't have sufficient
understanding. So we began to distance ourselves from them.
The saga continues to the third monthly edition containing
their material. This one will be sparse. This one will be contained to the
facts. And most likely this will be our last issue featuring any material from
them. I suspect they will be relieved. I know we will be!
Going forward we could serve as their publisher but not as
their editor. It would be a vendor relationship pure and simple. The content
would be theirs and theirs alone. They would have to answer questions and
potential lawsuits alone. Not us.
Time will tell if the culture of gridlock in their town will
allow them to see past these problems toward a future where collaboration and
honest discussion moves the community forward.
I have likened their community as one in parallel with the gridlocked
politics of Washington DC
Too bad. They could do so much better. A good newspaper would
help them if only they would let it.
August 26, 2013
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