Sound Off, Part Deux

While I was perusing the Daily Local News this week, my attention was once again drawn to the “Sound Off” section of the editorial page. Previously, I had made comments about how positive this feature of the publication can be, and gave some tips on how contributors could make the most of their comments. Since then, I’ve altered my opinion.

From the standpoint of the newspaper, keeping this section is a great idea. This is apparent from the fact that people (like me) take the time to read it; thus, having things in the paper that generate reader interest, both positive and negative, equates to sales of both copies and advertising. It seems pretty logical thing to do from their perspective; good for them.

Even though I will continue to be sucked into reading “Sound Off,” I’ve decided to address some issues I have with it (again). First, it seems like it’s the same people using the feature all of the time. If it’s not the usual political bashers, or “Sue from Caln,” it’s the guy who feels obligated to remind all of us to turn our wipers and headlights on when it rains (I certainly wish this was my primary societal worry).

Secondly, as someone who writes material that can be rebutted, refuted, and criticized in a very personal and public manner, I feel that “Sound Off” is the easy way out for the intellectually lazy among us. If you feel strongly enough about a subject to scream into an answering machine, you should be able to develop your point of view in a concise written format, and put it into a forum where its merits can be debated.

Keep it real.