By: Theresa Poulson
Since the dawn of the age of reality television we have all become aware of the fixation media consumers have with watching people in their daily lives. Though most would chalk it all up to the public’s voyeuristic tendencies, I think the interest in reality television comes from a more innocent place. The desire to know about people’s tiny struggles and victories is rooted in our need to feel connected, to find in other people a bit of ourselves.
Community newspapers have the power to deliver that same kind of fill but only of a more nutritious variety minus the additives of nauseating music and trivial dramatics. They can unite people and help them feel connected just by telling the stories of your neighbors.
As the new lifestyle editor of the Register-News I hope to do just that. I want to find the stories that have not yet been told about you and your neighbors’ experiences, from living with a disability to helping your child compete in a local beauty pageant. Everyone has a story. Now it’s my job to seek them out.
I have a background of community reporting and editing that has prepared me for the task. Since November of last year I worked as a reporter at the New Egypt Press and at the Community News in Pemberton.
In May I graduated with a degree in art history and visual arts from Rutgers University, where I worked on the student-run newspaper in New Brunswick. As the editor of that publication, I learned about the power of the printed word when I received a letter from three Rutgers alumni serving in Iraq. They had been reading copies of the paper delivered to them by a current student and wanted to thank the staff for bringing them closer to home by letting them know what was happening on campus.
This year the Register-News will not be attempting to span such a distance, but instead a stretch of time. In celebration of Bordentown City’s 325th anniversary, we will continue to take a particular focus on the history of the community in an attempt to connect you with the people of the past, who have helped shape today. And with such a daunting job I will need your help. You can help by letting me know what is happening in your community or in your own backyard. I would be happy to talk with you over the phone or via email. You can reach me at tpoulson@pacpub.com, by phone at (609) 259-3478 ext. 103, by fax at (609) 259-1182, or by mail at P.O. Box 446, Allentown, NJ 08501.
