Opinion
Since taking the helm as Editor of our beloved PULASKI CITIZEN, the one thing that has taken me most by surprise is the sheer amount of information traveling across my desk — and the shortage of space available for it in our paper.
I’ve been forced to omit posts from our weekly columnists, political cartoons, countless press releases and a shameful number of articles from my very own staff each week, which is very frustrating for all involved and breaks no one’s heart more than mine.
To alleviate this, I’m asking everyone submitting content for this paper to be as concise as possible, guard the length of your material and focus on what’s most important. I’ll be strictly enforcing the 600-word limit on letters to the editor, with very few exceptions (like today). The gravity of a topic does not necessarily justify space, and those whom submit letters on a frequent, if not abusive, basis, may find their letters limited. Items within these guidelines stand a much better chance of being published.
Yes, the number of pages in our paper can be increased to account for this and to some degree will be; but it is necessary to have advertising to counterbalance it, else we lose money, and no one’s in business to do that. The more advertising, the larger the news hole; and advertising has been steadily increasing, a good sign that we’re coming through this recession.
We’re implementing changes next week, going to three solid sections: an “A Section,” which will contain news and a two-page editorial section; a “B Section,” consisting predominantly of sports and school; and a “C Section,” featuring lifestyles and classifieds. This move will allow us to slightly increase our news hole, make better use of color and give sections a better and more prominent home in the paper. We’re also to introduce a new columnist, so please look for next week’s and upcoming editions of the PULASKI CITIZEN.