Delivering news is hard work as editors well know. Stories don’t just fall in your lap. You must develop news sources, which can be a painstaking process. Sources willingly share good news. When bad news surfaces, they often create detours and roadblocks.
Continuing coverage, if thoughtfully planned, goes a long way toward holding elected officials accountable. It also can enrich coverage of local public affairs, providing substantive content beyond blow-by-blow meeting reports.
Campaigns are in full swing as Election Day nears. Editors should pay extra attention to letters that give a thumbs up or thumbs down to candidates and other ballot initiatives.
My wife and I have family friends who told us about their boating experiences in northern Virginia. They had a pontoon boat which was docked at a local lake.
I remember attending a graduation ceremony for a class of nursing students.
Hardly a year passes without legal requirements for public notices coming under assault.
Jim, who used to work with a local volunteer fire department, told me about the technique they used to keep everyone on the right roads to arrive at fire sites. “It was in the days before GPS,” he said.
A divorce is finalized, but it is not recorded in the newspaper until four months later.
Back in my ad agency days, I worked with a real estate client on a series of customer testimonials. We started with one, then added another and another.
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals.
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