Want your voice heard? This is the right place
Readers of this newspaper adapt well.
In these times, who can afford not to?
But our tens of thousands of loyal readers seem especially tolerant of the changes this newspaper has made in the 21 months that this editor has been on board.
Among other things, we have juggled the comics lineup, moved the obituaries from Page 2 to Page 4, cut the maximum length of letters (twice!), and introduced a Weekend edition as a combined Saturday-Sunday paper.
Not all readers were happy, and we heard some complaints.
But the vast majority of our customers understood the need to make changes, some of which were intended to ensure that this newspaper remains financially healthy so it can continue to serve its communities.
Thank you for your loyalty.
THAT IS NOT the introduction to an announcement of sweeping new changes for this newspaper.
But it is a way to talk about the 300-word limit that we enacted Jan. 1 for letters to the editor. Before that, the limit was 400 words.
Maybe it’s too early to deem the change a success, but it appears to have brought the desired result: We are publishing more letters.
That means more local voices are being heard. And newspaper research indicates that readers prefer the voice of fellow readers to that of the newspaper.
That shorter word limit came just as the primary election season began to heat up, and we limit election-related letters to 250 words.
So, we will have to wait until after the Feb. 2 primary to see how the move plays out in the longer term.
We will consider longer letters for use as guest columns. But we also reserve the right to edit letters for length to conform to the limit.
Keep them coming.
WE DID GET one written complaint about the new word limit.
Maybe you saw it; we published it in late December.
The writer suggested that 300 words is just not enough to fully develop a well-written argument.
His letter was about 250 words long.
WHEN ONE READER called this month to disagree with something this newspaper had published, we suggested he write a letter to the editor to air his complaint.
“What good would that do?” he shot back.
For starters, it would make our judgment in that matter a subject for public discussion. Readers’ letters are extremely well read – especially the short ones!
And we firmly believe this newspaper’s role and performance are fair game for community debate. As readers know, we are not hesitant to publish criticism of the newspaper.
We haven’t seen his letter.
IN CASE YOU’RE curious, the matter involved an Internet link we published so readers could see the pay for employees of the Dixon Correctional Center.
The caller was one such employee.
The data was part of our report that examined the impact the state prison has on the Dixon community. That is a timely topic since the federal government announced plans to buy the under-utilized state prison at Thomson.
Pay information for public employees is an accessible public record. Under the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), anyone can see salary records for state and local government employees.
“How much money do you make?” the caller demanded of the editor. “I have a right to know under freedom of information.”
FOIA applies to public employees – government workers who are paid with tax dollars – not to employees of a private business.
“I don’t work for the government,” the correctional officer insisted. “I work for the state.”
And so it went.
WANT TO WEIGH in on the primary election?
Do you know a candidate who is qualified enough to earn your public endorsement?
The best way to reach the most people in this area is through Sauk Valley Newspapers.
Letters to the editor, which we publish in print and online, are limited to 250 words for candidate endorsements. There is no charge to get that exposure in one of the best-read features of this newspaper.
The deadline for submitting a letter is noon Tuesday, Jan. 26, to get it published before the primary election.
Of course, our good friends in SVN’s advertising department are willing to sell you all the advertising space you want. And you get to determine the size, placement, timing and content of the ad message (within reasonable limits).
Participate in the campaign dialogue. Write a letter today.
And vote Feb. 2.
