vision2020@moscow.com: getting your message out
getting your message out
Bill London (london@wsunix.wsu.edu)
Sat, 9 Dec 1995 09:06:31 -0800 (PST)
The Moscow Food Co-op Community News is a monthly tabloid with a press
run of 1,500 copies which are distributed (free) at the Co-op and at
businesses in both Moscow and Pullman. I edit the publication, and am
requesting your help.
At our holiday party/newsletter meeting last night, we (the 15 of
us who volunteer as writers, designers, etc to put out the newsletter)
decided to add a guest editorial page. We need your help filling it.
Previously, our policy had been no electoral politics. We wanted
to keep the publication free of campaign stuff, which is appropriately in
other media. That meant no articles about candidates or initiatives or
other ballot measures. (We print plenty of polemics on issues, like
awareness-raising stuff about environmental or food topics--and have
regularly taken paid ads for candidates and ballot measures).
I was pleased with that policy, but recently have been approached
by people who wanted to write articles about topics that MAY become
ballot measures in Idaho (specifically, the limits on black bear hunting
and the anti-gay rights measure). This was a gray area not covered by
our previous policy--so I brought it up at our meeting.
The result of that discussion was the guest editorial page idea.
We will announce it in the January issue and begin in February.
What we need to make this work is:
1. topics--suggestions for issues that have a strong pro
and con position and a reasonable amount of interest by our readership.
The range is broad, from national (do we need a Constitutional amendment
to ban burning of the American flag?) to local (should cities spend
public money to aid private business for the purpose of local economic
development?). No candidate endorsements or mentions, but initiative
topics are OK.
2. writers--people willing to identify topics or respond
if someone else identifies a topic and writes a negative or positive
article.
I appeal especially to those who label themselves conservative
and who monitor these lefty list-servers--but we need ideas and willingness
from anyone with a good idea.
Please let me know if you are interested in suggesting a topic or in
writing responses. Call me at 882-0127 or e-mail to london@wsu.edu
In essence, the newsletter group's decision was that this page
would be devoted to opinion. One topic per month with a pro and con
editorial (by-lined). The next month, signed letters that
comment on the previous month's topic.
Let's see if we can make it work.
BL
ps. we are also really interested in someone who will do cartoons,
political or otherwise.
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