I’m often asked why there’s so much bad news – in papers, on television, and over the radio.
There are different value structures which determine what warrants prominent news coverage. In some newsrooms, it’s a chase for traffic, which puts journalists in a mindset that they have to make a story relevant – or of interest to – as many people as possible.
This can lead to sensationalist headlines, or in the worst cases, clickbait – an attractive headline which has little or nothing to do with the story.
A successful community newspaper needs to be reflective of its community.
It’s not the place for “gotcha” journalism, but it is the place to stand up for the community in which we live, and celebrate the good.
That’s where we start looking for the three “Es” of journalism:
Education: We have a responsibility to inform, which means we have a duty to ensure the information we publish is correct, verified and to the best of our knowledge, true. This includes holding people accountable, such as those in politics or positions of responsibility.
Emotion: We are proud of where we live, so it is essential that we reflect what makes Logan great. There will be things that make us all happy, sad and at times, angry. These are the things we want to talk about.
Evolution: This is our responsibility to help people live their lives. MyCity Logan has four pages of events, and we’re always looking for ways people in our city are helping to improve the lives of others.
All our stories will aim to tick at least one of these important boxes.
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