|
The
Lincoln Daily News is 1 year old. I would like to congratulate
all the people involved with bringing us a community-responsive venue
that is quite different from any other known to Logan County
residents. The LDN is a source of news about community activities and
events that, quite frankly, are not covered as heavily, if at all, in
other area newspapers. That isn't to say LDN is correct in their
approach to community news or that others are wrong. It simply means
LDN is different in its approach to local news, and that is what has
caused readership to grow. You see, being different isn't good or bad.
Being different is just being different.
In
a day and age when national stories are being covered by thousands of
papers and hundreds of radio and television stations, the LDN finds no
need to be redundant with such information. In a day and age when
tragedy, scandal and hype make headlines in the news, the LDN decides
to tell us what events have occurred or will occur that are of
importance to local residents, without any need to make us feel they
need to create a shock value to their stories.
I
personally, with the assistance of the Internet, read about 20
different newspapers a day. I find little need to continually be
deluged with a sad tale regarding the failings of humanity. I have
often found the positive stories offered by the Lincoln Daily News as
a mental bandage to remind me that everything in the world isn’t as
screwed up as we think it is.
Another
thing I really appreciate is that stories that carry two sides are
presented to us only when both sides have an opportunity to respond to
the issue. I have yet to read a story in this newspaper that states,
"So-and-so could not be reached for comment." I like that
omission a great deal. The LDN does not feel any need to break a story
before someone else does. They seem more interested in finding out
what happened and what everyone thinks happened before they post.
Television especially could learn a lesson from this good habit the Lincoln
Daily News seems to have.
[to top of second
column in this commentary]
|
This
isn’t to say LDN doesn’t tell the tale of important events in our
area. There were some great pictures of the Scully Building fire, as
well as information on the blaze and its aftermath. You may have
noticed that the information concerning possible arson on the fire was
stated and then left for another day. It seems, at least to me, that
the Lincoln Daily News is waiting for information to become
available before they print the story. I like that. The problem I have
noticed with many news articles is that they are too often filled with
conjecture and innuendoes that by their nature may end up not being as
factual as one would hope. The LDN seems more pressed for accuracy
than they are for time.
The
Lincoln Daily News is by no means perfect. Just like you and
me, they have a ways to go before obtaining perfection. In the event
you read the LDN on a regular basis, you may have noticed that they
are continually evolving, and that is a good thing in my mind. They
need to develop a classified section, and they need to expand their
local story base. These events will occur with your continued support
as well as the continued increase in businesses willing to advertise
with the Lincoln Daily News. You see, a newspaper that is free
to its subscribers relies totally on community support. With this
support, the sky is the limit for this truly hometown newspaper.
I
hope at least a few of you think that the addition of myself to their
stable of writers is a positive aspect to the growth of this paper. I
hope I will bring a little edge to this tabloid that will promote
thought and correspondence with you, the readership. That may be
important to this newspaper, because they have been doing such a good
job of trying to be objective and honest and positive in their stories
that an old curmudgeon like myself in the opinion age might be a good
change of pace. If you can’t get mad at the reporters because they
are being factual and objective, you still will have Mike Fak to chew
on a little bit.
That
ought to be fun.
[Mike Fak]
Click
here to comment on this article.
|
