Editorial: Good news, bad news and where to go for it
In this journey we call life, many situations are like a ‘double-edged sword.’ There always seems to be a negative and positive.
So, there is always bad news and good news. In reading the headlines of most newspapers and watching the television news’ programs, it does appear though that bad news seems to rate higher than good news among what we people want to see.
It is the responsibility of all news agencies to present an even-balance of both types of stories without favoritism.
Harrison County has two local, very credible news agencies in the Marshall News Messenger and KMHT FM 103.9. Publisher Jerry Pye has a strong team of reporters with valuable skills and a passion for sharing the good, the great, the bad and the ugly. KMHT FM 103.9 with its qualified staff, being led by News Director Ashli Dansby, presents a fair perspective with the same zeal for keeping the community informed.
Hallsville has a citizen who has put together a blog to present positive pieces on his neighbors and events in the community called smilehallsville.wordpress.com. There is another website with all Hallsville news. Ron Munden has put together a website called East Texas Exposed (easttexastowns.com). Munden’s site gives a mosaic of information for all of Harrison County-promoting everything from arts and culture to sports to government meetings to editorials.
So what is the Piney Woods News? The Piney Woods News was planned to do one thing – promote the communities in the Piney Woods News’ coverage area positively by publishing human interest stories. The stories planned were to be just on the people and places in the Piney Woods area.
The PWN-generated stories will focus on everyday ordinary people and events happening in Marshall, Hallsville, Waskom, Elysian Fields, Harleton and Karnack. There might even be thrown in some Jefferson folks and events.
The PWN will leave the late-breaking news, the crime reports and the ‘riot at the commission meeting type of story’ to the Marshall News Messenger, the radio station and television stations. What the PWN will do is dive into the people behind those things if the opportunity presents itself.
From now on, the stories you will see on PWN will be ‘the page 2, 4 or back page stories’ from a newspaper or broadcast on television or radio, like when Mrs. Sally turns 100 or Junie wins an award or Mr. Billy wants to show off his collection of bottle caps, and other stories like that.
Your support will be appreciated. By the way, if you want to be a sponsor of ‘good news’ and the PWN, email [email protected].
Here’s to bringing back ‘good news.’