Why Rockford and do you play golf?

Add comment March 16th, 2009

Old-time Rockfordians ask newcomer professionals two questions: Why (meaning, why in the name of Sam Hill would you ever want to come to a city like this one) do you want to come to Rockford; and then the follow-up: Do you play golf?

Rockford School District 205 superintendent finalist LaVonne Sheffield fields both questions with ease. Yes, she does play golf, so good news for the Park District and Forest Preseve courses. And, she does a fine job of explaining the “why Rockford” part. You can see and hear a 30-plus minute interview with her and the Rockford Register Star editorial board here.

This was the second time the editorial board used the “live chat” format on the Web site. It works exceptionally well for those who want to hear and see an interview unedited and unfiltered. It’s not as handy for discussions, or at least not yet.

Editorial boards are rarely “board members ask question, person responds.” They are far more likely to be lively (some would say frightening) discussions in which ideas clash and facts are questioned. Editorial boards are all about the give-and-take,  the intellectual challenging and the pros and cons of a position. They simply are not polite “I ask, you answer” things. Editorial boards are not created for “debates” nor for sound bites.

As we continue to experiment with the live streaming video technology, we’re going to need to find a way to do “real” editorial boards and not this stilted back-and-forth.

We’re learning. Stay tuned.