Jack and I purchased the local newspaper last June. We had no intention of changing the Town Crier from the newspaper it’s been since the 1950s when the Maxwells (founders in 1946) began publishing hard news — even on the front page.
We print news. We don’t count or classify news as good, bad or ugly. But, for curiosity, I did look at the December 2013 issues and “classified” the 47 stories our reporters wrote over those four weeks.
The number of neutral stories — those that can’t be classified as either positive or negative — numbered 20.
The number of positive stories — events, entertainment, artists, aid, etc. — numbered 21.
Negative stories, those that might concern readers, such as burglaries and traffic collisions, numbered six.
The Town Crier is the biggest booster of this town. We love Idyllwild and we bend over backwards to cover as much of the good stuff happening as often as we possibly can.
But news is news — good, bad or indifferent. Our local clubs and organizations produce newsletters to promote their specific needs. Jack and I did not buy a newsletter.
It is my intention to continue producing Idyllwild’s only general newspaper and do it well. Doing so includes continuing to keep our news meetings open to the public, and prioritizing news stories reflecting the needs of the community and what is important to our readers.
We are well aware, however, that this is a tourist community. As such, we produce publications specifically geared toward Idyllwild’s tourist industry and pay to keep our doors open on weekends to visitors. We maintain and pay for the former Chamber of Commerce’s phone number, with most of our staff answering, aiding visitors to this town we love and support.
Not everyone will like a story or where it lands in any newspaper, and that’s OK.
But news is news.
Becky Clark, Editor
