The Observation Deck

My my...

Its been a while.

And here is my 0.02:

1) Should the LO report crime or not report crime?

No. As a bi-weekly paper it could only capture a small portion of the local crime news contemporaneously and rightly or wrongly the inclusion or exclusion of pieces can be misconstrued as bias.

I would also prefer that the LO remain the positive voice of Lakewood. Crime, drugs, violence and sex are all hot topics that can and will move conversations on the deck and papers on the street. Just ask any major media outlet or turn on our friends at Action 19 news.

But those things dont build the brand, dont uplift and inspire, or provide a voice to the many MANY positive things that happen every day in our community. I would rather read an account of Grant elementary school's spring play, or an article about a local garage band, or poetry written by my neighbor while she sipped her coffee one morning.

Those are the voids in media in the modern world and the things that the majority of people I know turn to the Observer for. To me THOSE are the things that a community is built upon.

2) When we report crime should the LO lock down the deck so no one writes?

Just the opposite. THIS is where the discussion can run amok so the speak. Let us have the deck, the other places who shall not be named (all of them) and every street corner to express our fears, our concerns and our findings. After three days when the maelstrom is over the topic floats down the list and eventually is dropped from the front page. Why? Becasue we have gained all of the knowledge we need, have purged ourselves of our fears and have found the support and love of many of our neighbors. We do need a place to laugh, scream, shout, ask questions and vet answers but that doesnt need to stay in print glaring at us everyday when we are ready to move forward.

3) Should the LO stop all opinion on the Deck, and in the Paper?


I know you always tired of hearing me say this - but like Mark I think there are some people (yourself included Jim) that should be more cognizant of their role as community leaders and the potential impact their words can have. Mayor George may have opinions of his own that he would want to express - but cannot because the impact of his words can have large unintended consequences. Similarly, Jim and others who are leaders in this community should always work to manage their content to minimize the number of unintended consequences.

Its not an easy position to be in.

4) Do we put together a citizen steering board, even though the Project is owned, and operated by a bunch of Lakewoodites already?

To what end? I can only imagine a miserable quagmire - people complaining about who is on the committee and how they got there, please complaining that they are not being represented. Why open the door? Publicize the monthly meeting more widely and make instructing people how to get more involved a regular part of that night every month so that anyone can stop by and get involved as life permits. Making a regular presentation might seem repetitive to the "old timers" but i a crucial step that may open the door for people who are curious but under a false assumption of what would be required of them if they wanted to participate.



Ah well - back to life No time to play on the net any more - which all in all is a really cool thing

Charyn Compeau wrote:My my...

Its been a while.

And here is my 0.02:

Ah well - back to life No time to play on the net any more - which all in all is a really cool thing

Charyn

Welcome home.

Thought you moved out East?


peace

House wont sell

We are still moving, however, for the record it is to facilitate my husbands joint custody of his children (who are in PA) and not for any Lakewood-hating reasons.

And thanks.

Charyn,

Welcome back, you were missed.

Kumbayah.

sharon kinsella wrote:What is the difference between an amateur and a professional - a professional gets paid.

The LO is a community paper, anyone in the community can write for the paper. Demanding that writers take journalistic types of training would stifle some of the very things that make the LO such a valuable resource.

I have worked on some community papers and newsletters. We encouraged members of the community to express their thoughts, their feelings and their unique views.

Personally I feel that if you want a professionally staffed paper, you need to pay the staff. The LO is not such a vehicle.

Sharon,

I understand and value where you are coming from with your view. But the CYO requires their amateur volunteer coaches to take mandated training courses ( about 5 hours worth before they can coach youth sports). Several years ago I volunteered to work at the Cleveland GrandPrix race downtown and I had to attended a MANDATORY 3-hour training sessions for the all important tasks of hanging signs around the race track. Its not my newspaper and its not my decision but I don't think it is too much to ask to for people to partake minimal training before allowing them to volunteer their services to the LO. It doesn't make them professionals any more than the local CYO football coach is the next Romeo Crennel because he underwent a few hours of training.

Todd-

I have to say that I think training programs would prevent most of the first time submissions by writers and the single submissions of others.

It would stop me cold.

IMO, it's far more important to emphasize that the doors are open and contributions are welcomed from all of our neighbors. I like inclusion and diversity.

We have editors to help writers if they need it, but one of the strengths of the paper is that we can hear the distinct sound of each voice.

The LO does not have to follow any pattern or precedent and whatever it is is determined by what contributors decide to contribute.

I would agree with dl.

Training makes perfect sense for the coaching activities that Todd mentioned. After all, playing a sports game requires some basic knowledge of the rules.

When it comes to a constitutional issue; whether it would be free speech, assembly, press, due process, or whatever else lies in those first 10 amendments, people tend to be very leery of a competence test or ANY governmental or privately imposed training prerequisite applied.

We can and probably should argue that people NEED to be trained and knowledgeable about their rights and responsibilities, but to impose that training from above, too much, could implicitly limit those rights, particularly in the area of written expression.

Thankfully, schools generally do a great job with basic skill development for most of us.

What we do with those skills, is within reason, our own inalienable right.

My question is simply this:

While Atheltic leagues, Scouts, etc., have training programs in place for their voluteers, who would train wannabe civic journalists? Where do we find this course offering?

I would appear to me that it require yet another responsibility of those involved in the project to formulate a training course, administer it and teach it. I'd be willing to bet that there are few people with the necessary expertise to formulate that course, and probably fewer with the free time needed to put in the hours to teach it.

Then, on top of these constaints, there would be the issue of requiring potential writers to attend.

Jeff

Jeff/All

We have tried this in the past and now rely on great editors to coach the person along. We have gotten more than one article only to massage it here and there. In the end the writer learns and hopefully writes again.

We are workign with a group that is bringin in a professor to teach their staff and possibly we can get them over here as well.



.

Maybe I've missed a point, but if taking some sort of class in writing would be required in order to have an article submitted, I would think too many people with something to write about, might not be able to contribute due to personal reasons, time constraints, family, business, what have you.

If that be true, some valuable insights might be lost ?

Haven't we all come across some people that are very poor writers, yet have wisdom and insight far beyond most ?


FWIW

Mark C.

I think the question is what are they wwanting to write. If they are more interested in writing hard news, then a crash course in journalistic standards would be appropriate. People who are interested in such reporting should be interested in such information.

If they are writing a column, op/ed, or press release for their business or organization, then no, a course would not be needed.

It all depends on what they are interested in writing.

Cris

We provide editors with AP style and legal handbooks.

I have some in the office that available if needed.


FWIW


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