My first 31 days on the job as editor and publisher of The Covington News have been a whirlwind to say the least.
At times, it’s felt like trying to drink out of a fire hose, as I’ve worked to re-learn a community that I already love, but am now discovering in a fresh way. It’s been a fantastic experience so far.
One of the highlights of my first month came last Wednesday when I was able to sit with our entire staff for the first time to start the discussion of how we can take an award-winning news organization and make it even better.
Yes, The News has been successful, particularly over the last couple of years. And we have the hardware to prove it. But that’s just one part of the puzzle. We can gain every professional accolade known to man and still miss the mark if we’re not giving you, our readers, the local news experience you need.
That’s why, while we’re working on our end to examine everything we do — from digital to print, advertising and sales to community presence — to see how we can do it better, we’re also asking for your help.
We don’t just want your feed back. We need your feedback.
After all, you are the reason why we do what we do. So for the entire month of September, we are asking you to join our efforts — be extensions of our staff, if you will, and help us get better in all aspects of what we do.
Please take some time to answer these questions below and return your answers to me whether by mail, in person, via email or through our Facebook page inbox. You can also give me a call to talk it through if you prefer. And here’s the good news: We will give a free three-month print and digital subscription or renewal to two randomly selected respondents.
Here’s how you can send you answers:
U.S. Mail: The Covington News, 1166 Usher St., NW, Covington, GA 30014
Email: gstovall@covnews.com
Office phone: (770) 728-1409
Facebook Inbox: Search “Covington News” (make sure it’s Georgia, not Kentucky).
And here are the questions:
What does The News do well?
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What does The News not do well?
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If you were publisher, what would you do to improve our coverage?
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What kinds of stories do we need to tell more of or less of?
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What feature of our newspaper do you think we should bring back?
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What types of stories do you feel are worth your subscription dollars?
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What are your favorite sources for news, and why?
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Your Name:
Your Address:
Your phone number: