During a stop at the Joplin Public Library Saturday, I examined the past week's worth of Carthage Press editions and I was saddened to discover that only two of the six issues had an editorial page.
It appears to be another of these shortsighted moves by Gatehouse beancounters to save a few bucks here and there. By limiting the editorial pages, newspapers no longer have to pay for syndicated columnists, and they also eliminate pages that have traditionally not featured advertising.
However, the few dollars they save by limiting the number of editorial pages they run each week are more than offset by the end result of this action- they are cutting out the heart of any good newspaper and limiting the voice of the people.
When I became managing editor of The Press in December 1993, one of my first priorities was to strengthen our editorial page. Marvin VanGilder, who had just retired as a reporter, was hired to write three editorials per week, while I contributed an occasional editorial.
I also wrote a regular column, which usually ran three times a week. We added regular columnists such as former Carthage Police officer Ron Ferguson, whose column ran on Saturdays, and VanGilder, who had three columns per week in addition to his editorials. We also sought out guest columnists, added local photos to the page to make it more inviting to readers, and vastly increased the number of letters to the editor we ran.
One of the reasons we were able to do that was because of the increased local emphasis of the page. The more local columns you have that relate to the community and its news, rather than to family issues or opinions on non-local items, the more response you get from readers.
We also judiciously selected the syndicated columnists we used, searching for writers who actually had something to offer and occasionally challenged the status quo. Columnists like Charley Reese and Nat Hentoff ran alongside more traditional middle-of-the-road analysts like Walter Mears of the Associated Press and Mort Kondracke.
Even on days when there was not much in the news, readers knew there would be something of interest on page four of The Carthage Press.
By eliminating the editorial page, The Press (and other newspapers that have taken the same step) are telling people who actually read their newspaper to become informed that they might as well find some other source of knowledge. Whoever is responsible for this decision may be saving a few cents now, but losing far more in the long run.
8 comments:
I'm not in favor of a paper the size of the Carthage Press purchasing syndicated columns. My feeling is that the Press's editorial page content should be as local as possible. There are plenty of people in the community who could write guest columns: city councilmen, the superintendent, the principals, the police chief, ministers, local business owners, etc.
I wonder if the downsizing of the Press's editorial page is really coming from GateHouse, or rather just an unmotivated Buzz Ball. The Neosho Daily News still publishes a daily editorial page.
I agree with the above comment. Local papers should save the cash. Most readers interested in reading national columns can find them online.
I remember growing up in Carthage in the 80's, reading Reese and Buckley and Rusher. I found Marvin's writing style almost uncomprensible, but still glaned some historical facts about Jasper County. Something Randy didn't mention was a lively 'letters to the editor' section. The guy that owned the Deli would write in often, we had a city council candidate/militia man right wing nutcase named Roger Kellermeyer (I think)with regular screeds, Danny Henesly would have an open latter from time to time. Many others. I don't get to read the press with regularity anymore, maybe twice a week, but I don't recall the last time i saw a letter to the editor in it.
If you will check my post, I mentioned the letters to the editor and I totally agree with you, letters from the readers are the key ingredient in a strong editorial page. We always ran a full page of letters, sometimes two pages, on Saturday, and tried to have other letters run during the week. When you provide strong, local opinions on your editorial page, whether they be in editorials or in columns, you will see a dramatic increase in letters to the editor, and it also pays off in readership.
I agree with the anonymous poster about syndicated columns. But that doesn't bother me as much if it is done right. More on that in a minute.
What is scary is that the Press, the Neosho Daily News and the Joplin Globe have all run OTHER papers' editorials in the space reserved for the newspaper's opinion. If an issue is important enough to warrant an editorial, it should be important enough to warrant an editorial by the local paper.
The editorial page is the heart of a newspaper; especially when it is a small paper. The willingness and commitment of publishers and editors to taking stands is its soul.
On syndicated columns:
Discussion of national issues belongs in the local papers. A column on a war by an editor or a local figure might be balanced, for instance, by a syndicated column representing the other point of view.
I agree with T.R.'s comment about not publishing other newspapers' editorials in theory. But realistically, you can't expect the Neosho Daily News or the Carthage Press to write their own editorial six days a week. The Joplin Globe, perhaps. With a staff of only four or five writers, it's nearly impossible to come up with a local editorial every single day.
The Press may not run many editorial pages, but the columns they do run sure do generate plenty of discussion online.
http://www.carthagepress.com/opinions/x374191822
This is Haines.
Yes they do get a lot of attention. One guy said he wanted to send me to California. I felt the love recently in my last column... apparently I made a mistake, now I'm ignorant and the Press was desparate in its action in hiring me...
However, I am honored so many people have commented on my crap of an article... it stirred up things. It upset people, compelling them to write me back... and I think one lady threatened to cancel her subscription. :) I can't apologize for my opinion, and I won't... It's just that, I want to write columns that say something, not just kissing ass in the space provided... like some people do...
I want people to think about issues, and feel strongly about something... It's better than not feeling anything at all.
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