How we report fairly during divided times

August 29, 2021

I was invited recently to speak at a community meeting on the topic of the challenges of producing a “politically neutral newspaper in increasingly partisan times.” Fortunately for me (or unfortunately), the topic didn’t involve a lot of research. It’s my reality these days. Generally speaking, remaining fair and balanced when reporting on just about any topic shouldn’t be difficult, really. You talk to a source, you get his or her side of the story. Then, you find someone with an opposing viewpoint, you talk to him or her. You write the story and present both sides. ...

Vindy’s ‘rooster’ something to crow about

August 22, 2021

The cozy, warm feeling of sunrise on a country morning is what we hoped to achieve with the painted “rooster” statue that The Vindicator sponsored as part of this year’s Canfield Fair. Our rooster, designed and painted by local artist Rick Muccio, depicts a beautiful sunrise coming up in the Valley over a family’s mailbox at the end of a country lane. The morning Vindicator newspaper is already rolled up and tucked inside the familiar orange paper box, just waiting to be plucked out and read with the morning coffee. Muccio’s artwork shouldn’t be new to readers. For ...

Series encapsulated critical parts of past

August 15, 2021

I’m far from what anyone ever could label a historian, but I do love learning about history. I love touring small, local museums like the McKinley birthplace in Niles, which I visited many years ago with my son as he researched his third grade “famous Ohioans” report, or the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor. During a visit there, I pored over exhibit after exhibit, reading every word about America’s steel industry as I conjured up images of my grandpa sweating in the hot, gritty steel mills of Johnstown, Pa., where he worked more than a half-century ago. ...

We shouldn’t let cursive handwriting fade away

August 8, 2021

Editor’s note: Editor Brenda Linert is on vacation this week. This “From the editor’s desk” column was first published in 2015. My newspaper recently published a story by education reporter Margaret Thompson that discussed a Howland second-grade classroom that spends about 15 minutes per week learning cursive handwriting. That doesn’t sound like much time, but the sad thing is, 15 minutes per week actually is a lot compared to some others that have completely eliminated all lessons in cursive handwriting. The changes have come for a few reasons. First, some don’t think ...

We try, but few of us can relate to Olympians

August 1, 2021

My husband and I sat on the couch last Sunday, mesmerized by what was taking place before our very eyes. Austrian bicyclist Anna Kiesenhofer sought extra momentum by standing on her pedals as she pushed up a dreadfully long incline toward the Fuji International Speedway finish line and her gold medal. “Holy smokes!” my husband shouted, sounding as if he knew anything about the sport or about the fact that the woman was a huge underdog in this Olympic road race. Truly, there was no way for either of us to relate to what Kiesenhofer was doing. Yet, each time the Olympic Games ...

‘Guardians’ face struggle for fans’ acceptance

July 25, 2021

The negativity started early Friday morning. An alert from Major League Baseball popped onto my phone screen before I even arrived at the office. I admit, I sneered. Really? The Guardians? It sounded juvenile, I thought. I flashed back to the Power Ranger action figures my kids had collected as children. By the time I was settled at my desk in the newsroom, my cellphone was blowing up with negative reactions to the newly announced name for the Cleveland Indians. The topic even came up during our regular Friday morning department head meeting. No one there liked it ...