It always amazes me when people are surprised by the impact of a story that appears in The Sentinel-Record. People are stunned that something that is read by 25,000 of their friends and neighbors in Garland County can generate so much response.
On many occasions, this surprise comes from people who have less than flattering stories written about them. People who have been accused of or convicted of a crime are just awed that everyone they encounter knows "their business." Often these folks are very upset and want us to "take back" what we have printed. Needless to say, these folks leave very disappointed because we cannot "take back" the facts that appear in court or public records.
Our advertising also generates a lot of surprises. Many times our customers are astonished when they are overwhelmed with calls about the house they have for rent or the chair they have for sell. Often when someone places an ad, they are amazed with the quick response they receive. Again, they overlook the power of 25,000 sets of eyes reading about their items.
The power of our product comes directly from our readers. Without those 25,000 local folks, we could not be as impactful as we are every day. We understand that we have an obligation to those readers to deliver to them relevant news and events that are going on in and around Garland County. It is not a responsibility that we take lightly. We understand that if we don't meet that responsibility, then we have failed at our No. 1 obligation.
We also understand that some people want to consume their news differently today. Many folks want to read their news online. Therefore, we are making an effort to improve our digital products.
It is with this effort in mind that The Sentinel-Record is going to launch an Online Reader Advisory Board. We want this board to be made up of both current readers and nonreaders of The Sentinel-Record's digital products. We are looking for folks who could volunteer one hour per month to sit down with us and talk about different aspects of our online products. We will talk about a variety of subjects, including the news, the interactivity of our products, our social media presence, video content and much more. We are looking for constructive feedback on how to improve our online products for our readers.
We want people who aren't afraid to give us their opinion, even if it is negative. We want to become a better newspaper and the only way to do that is to understand what the public of Garland County wants and needs from us in the digital realm. Our monthly meetings will be approximately one hour in length and we will provide lunch for our board at these meetings.
If you would be interested in giving us your opinion, we would like to hear from you. Please contact me via email at [email protected]. Simply shoot me an email that includes your name, contact information, your occupation and how you currently consume your news online.
Our plan is to start with a five-member board and rotate board members every 90 days. So we would only ask each member for three meetings and then we would bring in an all-new board to continue the flow of opinions and ideas. No long-term commitments required. The only requirements are opinions and interests in helping us improve The Sentinel-Record's digital interaction.
I look forward to speaking with you if you have an interest in our board. I know I will not be amazed at the response I get because I know the power of The Sentinel-Record and the passion of our readers. Thank you.
Editorial on 09/16/2018