From the Editors: Meet the Press
For a communications company, we at the Observer-Reporter don’t do the best job of talking about ourselves.
We aim to change that with this issue.
Did you know that only about two in 10 Americans have ever even spoken with a journalist?
Is it any wonder that cries of “fake news” are increasingly common when people don’t even know us? Is it surprising trust is at an all-time low if the public doesn’t understand our work?
This means each time I chat with a reader, it could be that person’s very first time talking to a reporter. I keep that in mind with every interaction I have, whether it’s online or in person.
It can be easy to brush off negative comments about our newsroom or journalism in general, but I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Each reader is an individual, and I cannot lump them into a group of cacophonous comments.
So, too, is each journalist an individual with feelings, passions and motivations, not lumped into one massive mainstream media machine.
I answer each question or respond to comments in good faith, as both parties can stand to gain from a positive conversation. The reader can learn how newsgathering works. I can learn what’s meaningful to our community.
In this issue, we have two stories on the state of our organization as a whole, aimed to answer any outstanding questions about how we’ve been doing since our sale last year. Our general manager Bob Pinarski talks about why he chose to move to the Observer-Reporter and what he hopes to see in the coming years at the helm of our institution. He boasts a long and varied career in local media organizations across the northeastern part of the country.
In the past year, there have undoubtedly been changes in how we publish a newspaper each day. But rest assured the Observer-Reporter is committed to providing you all with relevant, engaging, meaningful and timely local news for years to come. Members of our team of directors, pictured on this issue’s cover, talk about our vision for the future and commitment to a quality product in our cover story.
Of course, it would be difficult, and self-centered, to fill an entire magazine with stories and photos of ourselves. Staff writer Rick Shrum has an amusing and fascinating piece on Green Hills. Nestled mostly within South Franklin Township, with just one small border section shared with Buffalo Township, the borough boasts a population of just over a dozen. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I didn’t even know Green Hills existed, much less its compelling reason for being. I’ll blame being a recent transplant, and Ohio native, for my naivete.
As always, if you have a complaint, comment, concern or story idea, please let us know. You can call me or my co-editor, John Santa, at 724-222-2200 or email us at tthurston@observer-reporter.com or jsanta@observer-reporter.com. We would love to hear from you.
Take care,