The Voice is still looking for resident correspondents, who want to help convey items of interest to their fellow West Haveners. The response has been promising, and the newspaper’s editorial staff is trying to keep the interest going.
A few weeks ago, the Voice announced a new initiative to bring back something that was once a staple of this city’s newspaper heritage: resident correspondents. For many decades, citizen reporters would let the newspaper know what was going on in their neighborhoods or sections of the city. It was a successful way to get the word out.
“With the coming of Internet and electronic communications, much of that work is done on social media, but it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation. It can be a both/and,” said Voice Editor Bill Riccio.
The paper has had some initial interest, and some writers are working on some stories for future publication. Others have answered or inquired about writing, said Riccio, but have not followed through after the initial inquiry.
“One of the good things about the new initiative is a success already,” said Riccio. “The ‘Behind the Stacks’ column has given the library system an outlet that we once had on a regular basis, but through time just faded away. The new feature will keep the library and its events on the front burner and remind its many users what is going on.”
Once implemented fully, the paper hopes to have neighborhood correspondents that will let the public know what is going on in the various sections of the city.
“But it’s not limited to that,” said Riccio. “What we are envisioning is a rotation of business and professionals as well, who can let the readership know what is going on in their professional spheres that affects the general public.”
This type of writing helps at certain times of the year, like tax time, when a tax expert reminds people of the updated tax laws. This can be extended to other professions, such as the legal profession.
“In this edition, our outreach has resulted in local attorney Mark Healey writing an informative piece about estate planning and wills. That is something everyone needs to know as the make their individual plans,” Riccio said. “Other professionals have come forward and have been asked to submit copy for review.”
It is hoped that over the next several weeks, the number of resident correspondents will grow, and the variety of information offered by the publication will expand.