The Leader launches reader survey, adds new voice for ‘balance’ | Mixing Metaphors & Doubling Entendres

By Meredith Jordan
Posted 12/11/24

I have periodically invited readers to send me personal feedback about our coverage and our role in the community. The most recent missive generated a heartening response — thank you — …

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The Leader launches reader survey, adds new voice for ‘balance’ | Mixing Metaphors & Doubling Entendres

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I have periodically invited readers to send me personal feedback about our coverage and our role in the community. The most recent missive generated a heartening response — thank you — and I’ve relished the positivity. It’s inspiration for a more thorough effort to understand better what readers want from The Leader.

This week we’re launching a readership survey. It is on Page 16 in this issue, and online, and will last for one month. Please take a few minutes to clip the form in the paper and mail it or drop it off to us at 226 Adams Street, or click-through online. 

We are committed to being responsive to readers, and that isn’t new. When I arrived in March there was a mandate for the paper to include more news. Among other things, the editor who preceded me had informally asked readers what they wanted, and that was the overwhelming response. No surprises there, given the power of government and some businesses, organizations and institutions to directly affect our lives. 

Listening to readers and taking time to explain how and why we do what we do is working for us. Paid subscriptions are up 10% from last year. While we’re proud of that our work is just getting started. 

The scope of the readership survey is more broad in order to learn more about where you stand on features and other regular content. What do you care about most? What annoys you? What would you add? 

If you watch this space you know we welcome guest editorials from all perspectives about any topic of local interest, or national interest, if the connection is clear. 

Who among our existing local columnists do you read? One thing about the list you will see is that it doesn’t reflect a conservative voice. That’s because there hasn’t been one. I’ve heard a lot about this since I arrived in March. Most of our columnists don’t touch politics, but the point was well taken, because at least one does on a regular basis. 

Jefferson County voted for Democrats about 75% of the time in the November election, so it’s safe to say the paper has reflected the majority of our community. Our goal is to cover 100% of the community. 

We always aim for balance. Last week we ran a column by Bruce Cowan, chair of the 24th Legislative District Democrats. This week we have one from David Morris, chair of the Jefferson County Republicans. 

This week we start a column “Out of Balance” (Page A-14) by Quilcene resident Marcia Kelbon, a Republican. You likely recognize the name. She lost a bid for a seat in the statehouse to Democrat Mike Chapman, who was sworn in Dec. 6. Kelbon is a conservative voice who (and this is important) has a distinctly local perspective. 

We are not out of balance when it comes to our national politics, as almost everyone surely must know. The presidency was won with less than 50% of the vote. That polarization, as it persists, grows more dangerous. In his good-bye speech on Dec. 6, Democrat Derek Kilmer noted an NBC News national poll that gauged how bad people thought it was, with the possibility of a civil war being 100 on a scale of 1-100. The median landed at 70. (Kilmer, who represented this district for 12 years and is retiring from public life, said a lot more than that.)

There are many reasons for the political split in the nation. In my view, there are two near the top that get a minuscule proportion of airtime. The first is that the wide middle of the country no longer gets fact-based news, or even looks for it. The second is that the two sides have grown comfortable not listening to each other, sometimes with very good reason.

I’ll posit that our community is better equipped than most of America to talk to improve communications and in the process work toward a better shared future. There are areas where we agree, particularly on a local basis, and we can start there. That sure beats civil war.

Reach Meredith Jordan at editor@ptleader.com.