EDITOR’S NOTE By Hank Kalet Inviting readers to help make us better.
Every year, as the calendar turns from December to January, we here at the South Brunswick Post attempt to gauge our progress and set some goals for the coming year.
We review the fading year’s newspapers and assess how we did, hoping to make the coming year’s papers better.
We review all sections of the paper, look over the stories and opinion pieces, the calendars and the sports coverage.
We dissect our layouts, reviewing photo and story placement to determine if they are clear and reader-friendly.
Our goal is to improve the newspaper. My belief is that we cannot just do things the way we always have just because it’s the way they have been done. Sometimes you need to change.
This year, for instance, we have opted for larger headlines for lead stories and larger photos on the front page. And we’ve added this Editor’s Note column as a way of reaching out to readers to explain to them what we do and why we do it.
In this spirit, we want to invite our readers to join the goal-setting process. We want to know what you think of us and how you think we can improve.
Does the South Brunswick Post provide readers with the news they need?
Are our stories fair and accurate? Did they include all sides of the issues we covered?
Were there issues we missed that needed coverage?
Do our stories and photos reflect the community we cover? Do the various groups in town, whether church, social or civic, get adequate coverage?
Do we make enough of an effort to ensure that the paper reflects the diversity of the community?
Is our layout clear and understandable?
Does our editorial page reflect the diversity of opinion that exists in the community? If not, how can we encourage more and varied opinions?
The South Brunswick Post has won five general excellence awards from the New Jersey Press Association in the last 10 years, including in 2004, but that does not mean we can’t improve. Everyone has room for improvement and we can find that room with your help.
Please, help us make the Post a better paper.
The Editor’s Note column will run as often as necessary as a way to explain the workings of the South Brunswick Post to our readers. So, please, send me your questions about the paper, about the news business, about the decisions we’ve made and any suggestions you have. I’ll try and answer as many as I can in future Editor’s Notes. Call me at (732) 329-9214, write me at P.O. Box 309, Dayton, N.J. 08810 or e-mail me at [email protected].

