Editor’s Note
Back in the old days — that’s less than a decade and before there were such things as blogs and interactive conversations with readers — editors used to respond to their newspaper readers with an “editor’s note.” Sometimes it clarified a point made in a letter to the editor. Sometimes it offered a correction. Sometimes it was just a simple explanation. An editor’s note was a handful of sentences; maybe a four or five paragraphs. It was always a personal link between the editor and the reader. Only difference between it and today’s blog is the immediacy and the platform. Welcome to Editor’s Note.

Archive for July 3rd, 2008

Dump and ditch….

Add comment July 3rd, 2008

Dump and ditch… That’s what I call posting a blog item that may get a flurry of reaction, then not coming back to it for a few days. I’m going to do that right now, although maybe I might decide to blog rather than spend my holiday playing golf and grilling with family. Not.

So, here’s the dump part: In our April market research we offered up this statement — The Register Star has made changes in the past year that have improved the newspaper — and asked respondents to choose (1) yes; changes have improved the newspaper; (2) no, the changes have not improved the newspaper; (3) don’t know.

And, what did they say? Fifty-three percent said improved (contrasted with 48 percent in 2005); 17 percent have not improved (contrasted with 24 percent in 2005). The rest said they didn’t know.

Since some readers love to tell me that “everyone thinks the changes in the paper are just terrible,” well, read the stats. Just not so.

Here’s the ditch part: I’m headed out soon for the RSO concert at Rock Valley College, so I’m not going to be hanging around to respond. Have a great Fourth of July. That celebration of our country’s freedom is EXACTLY what gives us the freedom to do just this: free speech, free press, free assembly, a religion of OUR choice not Uncle Sam’s, and the freedom to petition Uncle Sam for redress. Sounds like a great deal to me.