In the beginning . . .
I regret that I had so many errands to run today that I have NO TIME to write to my first cousin George Meyer and his long-time partner Susan Grant. Actually, I COULD, but I want to see the Super Bowl, and I have no appointments on my calendar this coming week, so tomorrow it will be likely.
Also, I regret that I got an email that claimed to be from AOL, my email provider, and that they have several hundred compaints from people claiming I am abusing email and that I MUST clean all of that up right away -- or they will REMOVE MY ACCESS TO ANY EMAIL!!!
My heart did NOT even skip a beat -- since I and my Readers, and even ignorant Trump Supporters (some of them, anyway), know that no one can take back emails after they are sent !!!
When I placed the cursor over what appeared to be a LEGITIMATE AOL COMPANY ADDRESS that it came from, it revealed it came from a place with a very long "name" ending ".de" -- which I believe is Germany -- LOL!!!
I WISH I had screen-captured it and sent in to my buddy, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson!!!
May I suggest that YOU do, TOO!!!
>>> OH WAIT!!!:
Hey folks – Last week’s newsletter was, I admit, a long read. But I wanted to share with you both some of the journalistic challenges we’re facing and also help thread together the stories we reported into a mosaic of what was happening in our community.
I appreciate all the feedback you offered, kind words and critical comments alike. One thing I’m always struck by, and grateful for, is how articulate and thoughtful our readers and listeners are – even when they don’t agree with us.
One reader, in particular, was displeased with our editorial stance – and he let me know.
“You, sir, sound very much like the sort of person who will watch a fire burn down someone's house and transcribe the time it took and the number of casualties which resulted,” he wrote.
He wondered if I was “ever tempted to try and save any of the inhabitants, knowing that your story might not be written (or at least, complete) on account of the change in priorities?”
I asked him what he thought ‘saving the inhabitants’ would look like for local journalists like me and my colleagues, but he didn’t respond. Still, I’m trying to take his comments to heart and really think through them.
Another reader, voicing disappointment with the media more generally, asked how the news team would rate the press’ recent performance. She also asked if we ever “armchair quarterback” other outlets, either local or national.
The answers are “it’s been a mixed bag,” and “yes, all the time.” We can be a little harsh sometimes when we talk about other outlets’ reporting – but not just for a petty schadenfreude thrill. I think there’s a lot of value in taking other reporting as a case study: what did it do well, where did it go off the rails, what would we have done differently, and – most importantly – what can we learn from it? (And, yes, we know there are other reporters, in other newsrooms, putting our work through the wringer; that’s healthy, too.)
Most reporters I know don’t feel capital-J Journalism is well served by uncritical faith or rigid, brittle rules. I think we mostly agree that we all better with the push-and-pull of honest conversation, with our colleagues, supporters, and – yes – detractors.
So, again, thank you for the feedback. Keep it coming. (In the meantime, this week’s newsletter is going to be a little lighter, as we work on longer pieces for the next two editions.)
-Ben Schachtman, News Director
Looking for past Sunday Edition essays? Find them here: https://www.whqr.org/tags/sunday-edition
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