THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 6, 1995 TAG: 9501040139
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Joseph Banks
LENGTH: Medium: 89 lines
Whenever I'm asked to speak publicly, I feel like I'm standing before a support group about to make a public confession.
``Hi, my name's Joe Banks - and I'm a journalist.''
I'm often of mixed emotions telling people that I'm a journalist because I don't necessarily know what I'm in for.
I don't know whether I'm in for a discussion of how the newspaper works. Whether I'm going to serve as the scapegoat for everything that the newspaper's done wrong over the past week, month, year or decade. Or whether a little of both is in store.
My job title - in house - is Portsmouth editor. But that is only somewhat accurate.
For all practical purposes I am not responsible for each and every Portsmouth-related article that is published in The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
The City Hall reporter works for an editor in the Chesapeake office; the education reporter works for an editor in the Virginia Beach office; the police reporter works for an editor in the Norfolk office as does the court reporter.
While I might have input, I'm not the person determining coverage on those topics. For better or worse, that's the reality.
For all practical purposes, my primary responsibility is The Currents, the twice-a-week publication intended for Portsmouth readers of The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star.
A secondary responsibility is to complement the coverage provided by the City Hall reporter, the education reporter, the police reporter and the court reporter.
Since I assumed my current position in November of '93, The Currents staff has attempted to address what we viewed as the publication's shortcomings.
For example, over the past 14 months The Currents staff - which consists of two full-time reporters, one part-time reporter, two editorial assistants, a photographer and myself - has attempted to ensure that the majority, if not all, of the copy appearing in The Currents is Portsmouth-related.
Last year, for example, some 100 of the 104 cover stories were Portsmouth related.
There are times, however, when circumstances do not allow The Currents to be strictly Portsmouth-related.
(One of those times is today's cover story.)
We've also attempted to ensure a bit more substance. To be a bit more meaty, a bit more issues-oriented, be it City Hall layoffs, the economic development proposal, or the Children's Museum.
That usually comes at the expense of weekly features, such as a religion feature, a business feature, or a Thumbs-Up feature. It doesn't mean that we won't do religion or business-related articles; it means that there has to be a reason to do so, a reason other than the inherited decision that The Currents shall run a religion feature, a business feature, a Thumbs Up every week - regardless of their merit.
Several months ago, I was asked to write a mission statement. Here's what I came up with:
May we provide a sense of knowledge and perspective, a sense of belonging, a sense of hope;
May we talk to the community, and hear as well;
May we celebrate success, and critique failure;
May we explain what brings us together and what tears us apart;
May we offer an appreciation of the present, and an affinity for the past.
May we be a mirror of the reader, and a reflection of the community;
In a caring, empathetic, ethical and fair manner. (Amen!)
This week I'll be attending a meeting on reader reaction to The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star as well as The Currents.
We'll be introduced to the reader satisfaction index. It is designed to answer two questions: What matters to readers? How well do we do on the things that matter?
I don't yet know how the survey was conducted. I don't yet know how many Portsmouth readers were contacted.
I do know that I'm somewhat of a skeptic when reading survey results. I do know that I'm somewhat reluctant to use surveys as marching orders.
I place much more faith in one-on-one conversation, be it over a burger, a beer or a beef.
Overall, I think that we at The Currents are doing a pretty good job under the circumstances - but I'm pretty subjective.
As we begin a new year, I'm interested in your comments on what we - The Currents staff - are doing right or wrong. What you'd like to see us continue to do and what you'd like to see us do differently in '95.
Call me at 446-2683 between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. (If I'm unavailable to talk at the time, I'll call you back); write me at 307 County Street, Suite 100, Portsmouth, Va. 23704-3702; or fax me at 446-2607. by CNB