The Observation Deck

The Lakewood Observer needs to do a better job of covering local sporting events. It's practically non existent right now. As a community paper, the LO should put a better effort into it. Try to get somebody on the LO staff who can at least gather and print some scores and summaries.

This is in regards to LHS, St. Ed's, middle schools, girls rugby, and so on. There needs to be more in the paper.

If volunteers can't be found to write articles for the paper, I would think, given the talent pool available at the HS, the LO would be able to recruit writers from LHS and/or St. Ed's. Offer students $25 or something for each printed article/image. Something.

The PD barely mentions Lkwd sports. The Sun Post does an okay job, but could be better.

Young athletes, adult mom and dad volunteers, coaches, volunteer coaches and assistant coaches, and so on put so much effort into these events for the kids. A lot of it is their own free time. They deserve some recognition from/by the community.

I've done a little bit in the past. I no longer have kids in Lkwd schools and have little motivation to spend my own time (and money and absorbing expenses) doing this.

If the LO wants to 'sell the brand', promote Lkwd and its schools, this would be one small way to help in that regard. Promote what they are doing.

It's for your kids.

Part of the problem (nobody submitting articles) may be so few people even know the paper exists. That and/or people don't realize the articles are written by volunteers. Maybe the LO needs to do better at self promotion and recruitment of people to contribute.

Just my opinion.

I agree. Printing the times and places of upcoming games would also be useful.

Joe Ott wrote:Part of the problem (nobody submitting articles) may be so few people even know the paper exists. That and/or people don't realize the articles are written by volunteers. Maybe the LO needs to do better at self promotion and recruitment of people to contribute.

How?

Get the publisher and editor out into the community to drum up writers.

Talk with the Lakewood Times.

dl meckes wrote:Get the publisher and editor out into the community to drum up writers.

Talk with the Lakewood Times.

That's a start.
I've brought up the Times a number of times a couple years ago.

Offer students $25 or something for each printed submission. Something.

Maybe the LO should hand out papers at events with a special flier/insert included stating the LO is a free paper and the writers are all volunteer and that writers are needed.

Something like this could be done at sporting events, concerts at the auditorium and so on.

Maybe the LO can arrange with the school(s) to have the people selling tickets to give the current paper (with insert) to the person buying the ticket.

It seems like there are a lot of people that don't know the paper exists and/or anything about it.

Just my opinion, but it seems the LO needs to start an awareness campaign of some sort. Just don't do the PD yellow bag in the curb technique...

Maybe there just isn't any interest.

Joe

Cannot speak totally for current regime at LO, but.

The problem is that everyone is a volunteer with the exception of
the sales rep right now. So the means of reaching out is minimal.
We/the LO was lucky with you, Ivor, Mike Deneen, Todd Shapiro
in providing us all with great coverage of Lakewood sports.

I would agree that a better job needs to be done reaching out to cover
Lakewood sports, and maybe that is how I will spend my retirement. I
would also ask that all that read this or take part mention this to
friends and neighbors. With the Sun going even more regional, the LO
has more need to cover this and other items then ever before.

As for some of the other ideas, they are good, but the LO has a history
of only asking people to do what they want, and are passionate about.
We are not selling an agenda, lifestyle, movement. We merely ask residents
to write, report, take part on a level they feel comfortable. We do not use
volunteers to build the dreams of the board, but encourage the board and
the project to help others build their dreams.

It is a need, that will be addressed.

PS- beautiful photo as always.

.

Jim O'Bryan wrote:http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=122190&catid=3

For the story and video.

Thanks to our friends at Channel 3, Dick Russ, Mike O'Mera, and crew.

.

I thought it was interesting the video mentions HS sports schedules and how the lady missed that the Sun no longer covers local sports and implied the new Observer is or would be.