Brent Boyer
Brent Boyer: Your opinion on our opinions
We appreciate feedback on our editorials
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Steamboat Springs — Scott Ford is one of my favorite people in Routt County. His zany personality and meticulous study of the local economy and related data make him a fascinating and valuable member of our community.
Scott and I don’t always agree on local issues, but I know he’ll dissent in a respectful, thoughtful manner. That’s about as much as I can ask of anyone.
On Wednesday, Scott posted a comment on SteamboatToday.com criticizing the newspaper’s Editorial Board for taking on too many “softball” issues and for writing “articles” instead of opinion pieces. His comment was spurred by the Editorial Board’s Wednesday piece titled “Flood danger is real; be prepared.”
Scott went on to suggest an editorial about the Routt County Board of Commissioners’ decision late Tuesday to table Sweetwood Ranch owner Ryan Wood’s special-use permit application. I agree that the Sweetwood Ranch issue is ripe for an editorial, but a piece in Wednesday’s paper would have been premature given the timing of Tuesday’s county decision and the resulting lack of time for our five-member Editorial Board, which includes two community representatives, to discuss the decision and come to agreement on an editorial position about it.
And as we’ve continued to look into the issue this week, we may find that a more informed editorial would be critical of the county planning process or the guidelines for guest ranch and other special-use permits as opposed to the commissioners’ decision to table a vote on Wood’s application.
I also happen to think that the flooding danger editorial was warranted. I think there’s a very good chance in the coming weeks that runoff will become a significant property issue and potentially a safety issue for areas of Routt County, perhaps even downtown Steamboat Springs.
The weather during the next few weeks could prove me wrong (and I hope it does). But if Wednesday’s editorial motivated even a few residents to be more aware of the particular dangers facing them or their properties, and if it spurred them to prepare for the potential impacts of flooding, then I think it was worthwhile.
Perhaps many of you are shaking your heads in disagreement. Good. The Editorial Board is always open to suggestions for local topics to consider. And we’re looking for two new community representatives to serve four-month terms alongside me, General Manager Scott Stanford and reporter Tom Ross.
If you’re interested in being on the Editorial Board, please send Scott or me a short letter or email expressing your interest in the position. The next term will run from May through August.
I guarantee you’ll enjoy the Editorial Board process and feel empowered by the role you can play in helping to shape the newspaper’s stance on important community issues.
Be aware of targeted scam
It’s unfortunate that there are people in this world who resort to thievery and other means to take advantage of others. Some Steamboat Pilot & Today classified advertising customers are the latest target of such a criminal.
The scam goes like this: A caller tells a recent classified advertising customers that he is from the Pilot & Today and is trying to verify credit card information. This person uses software to manipulate his phone number so that it appears that the call is originating from the Pilot & Today. It is not.
The Pilot & Today does not contact customers via telephone to verify credit card information.
If you think you might have been contacted improperly, please call Stanford at 970-871-4202 or office manager Holly Hunter at 970-871-4223.
Brent Boyer is the editor of the Steamboat Pilot & Today. He can be reached at 970-871-4221 or bboyer@SteamboatToday.com
Comments
housepoor 2 years, 1 month ago
"And we’re looking for two new community representatives to serve four-month terms alongside me, General Manager Scott Stanford and reporter Tom Ross."
I nominate SeeUski and Yampa Valley Boy!!!! They are the most informed, open minded and reasonable members of the forum not to mention they are never wrong.
Scott Ford 2 years, 1 month ago
Hi Brent - Thank you for your very kind words. I know that you and I both enjoy and share a sense of stewardship about this wonderful place. I am glad this community is small enough that staff and the editorial board at the paper knows me and I know them as well and we count each other as friends or at least friendly associates.
As a point of clarification - I have no argument with the Steamboat Pilot/Today wanting to highlight the dangers of flooding this year and the need to be aware and take necessary precautions. From my perspective, Wednesday's "Our View" this was an article and not an editorial and therefore miss-placed. An editorial about this issue would have been if the editorial board thought (opinion) that the City and/or County was minimizing the danger or emergency plans developed seem ill prepared. Alternatively, you could have taken the opposite position. It does not matter. The emphasis here is take an opinion.
I am likely a wee-bit too "Polly-Anna" for some folks. I know that. I am optimistic about most things. A key role that the editorial board plays is to take a well thought out opinion and encourage others to agree and or disagree with them. What I call the coffee shop exchange that takes place actually at the area coffee shops and or in these blogs can be valuable in addition to often being entertaining. Getting us thinking and talking to each other is useful. I learn from some folks that actively participate in the blogs.
All I can ask of the Steamboat Pilot/Today is to ask themselves with every "Our View" is this a news article or a thoughtful opinion about some local issue? There is no shortage of issues for us to discuss and we often are better for the discussion. (I am letting my Polly Anna side show.)
I have a wee-bit too many fishing trips planned to the back country this summer to be able to submit a letter of interest to joining the editorial board for a 3-month tour of duty. I will commit to submitting a letter of interest in the fall.
On another note entirely - best wishes to you and Meg as you expect the arrival of your daughter in the next few days if I she has not already arrived. You two are going to make great parents and I think it is wonderful to have yet another little person that gets to call the Yampa Valley home.
Scott Wedel 2 years, 1 month ago
Brent, You should print a correction to this column because it is really unfair to completely misstate Scott Ford's criticism and then defend the paper and yourself from Scott Ford for an argument he never made.
He did not say it was bad advice to be worried and concerned about flood risk. What he was saying was that is not opinion, but advice and should be printed as advice, not opinion.
And then you go on to demonstrate you failed to recognize Scott Ford's point by then putting another advice piece regarding scams at the end of this column.
The editorial board is such a quaint concept suitable to a time where people had to get together to exchange ideas. It would make so much more sense in this modern world of diverse opinions and communications to have a group of however many interested people with the goal of expressing unified opinions. Where those that participate send each other suggested improvements so the opinion better speaks for a wider variety of people. And when there is a strongly felt coherent opposing opinion then there could be the other side printed as well. With both seeing the other's opinion so common ground can be noted and the differences clearly defined.
madsue 2 years, 1 month ago
I agree that opinion pieces are often watered down as are some articles. In a small town, it becomes an issue of being politically correct so that advertising and interest remains stable. There is a unspoken need to not rock "the boat". One example of this was the food critic piece (that mysteriously went away). There weren't any reviews of the restaurants in town that need to be called out on bad food and bad service. This is a newspaper after all; the goal is to tell the truth, present the facts, and allow opinions in opinion pieces. Often opinions are shared.
Fred Duckels 2 years, 1 month ago
It has been a long time since I have seen an article that is critical of our local governments. On the national scene criticism usually ends up in denied access, often resulting in biased journalism.
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