Words like ‘sue’, ‘lawyer’s letter’, ‘no comment’ and ‘apologise’ abounded – and we were only investigating, we hadn’t even published a word yet.
So the question is, since when did the community newspaper become the community enemy?
Midrand Reporter is first and foremost yours, and serves your interests. It is a platform for community members and city council to voice their views, share their achievements and to highlight failures for the rest of the community to learn from. No one is excluded and all stories are welcomed, so long as they pertain to our style guide.
The journalists have a job to question, investigate, and report all sides of each story – and also know when it is unnecessary to pursue a story. We understand that not everyone craves publicity, especially on contentious issues, but do not forget that the newspaper is yours. The journalists are here, not as enemies, but to work with you and to get your voice heard. Behind the bylines are people who care about getting all the facts, as accurately and fairly as possible.
No one ever gets defensive or has a problem when we want to report a positive news story. Contentious issues, on the other hand, create great animosity.
Midrand Reporter is your noticeboard and platform to show other community members your side of the story. Use us as this platform.
Call us out on our flaws but let’s try to work together. After all, the newspaper and its staff are community members too.
