Sept 9, 2006: Next Seattle Neighborhood Coalition meeting with Mike Fancher

The below is fyi - these meetings of the "Seattle Neighborhood Coalition" are well worth attending, and this one relates to my immediate last post - http://yousoufian.blogspot.com/2006/09/why-is-this-not-front-page-news.html

Armen Yousoufian

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: Kent Kammerer
Subject: Next Seattle Neighborhood Coalition meeting with Mike Fancher
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2006 16:53:50 +0000

August last, the Seattle Neighborhood Coalition gathering enjoyed a
discussion with Kathy Mulady reporter for the PI and Knute Berger
former editor of the Weekly.

The subject of the discussion was whether a newspaper should or does
play a role in creating public policy. It was asked how much of our
public policy is created to serve the general public, in contrast to
special interest groups, the movers and shakers or the whim of those we
elect?

The unstated question was whose side is the press on, the public’s, or
those with the greatest influence? Should newspapers become the
champions for the common man? Should newspapers evolve from their
traditional role of who, what, when and where and spend more time
educating and investigating the why and what if?

It was made clear that newspapers / print media is a business and
readership is declining for a number of perceived reasons along with
the advertising revenues that support running a newspaper. We also
learned that newspapers are actively seeking a way to appeal to a
demographic that will become readers and thus, hopefully, buy the
products that support the paper. We might ask if dumbing down a
newspaper creates new readers?

Seattle Times editor Michael Fancher published an appeal that his paper
is actively seek any ideas that would make the Times more appealing and
reverse the trend of declining readership.

Mike Fancher and Times writer Mike Lindblom will be our guest this
coming Saturday Sept. 9th. to hear your suggestions of how you might
like the Seattle Times to reinvent its elf. It would be easy to give
examples of what you perceive they do wrong, but, if you want real
change, be prepared to give solid examples of what you would like to
see in print. Make a list and bring it with you.

We meet Sat. morning, 9:00 AM. Sept. 9 at the Greenhouse Cafe, 2205 7th
Ave. Come join us and bring a friend.