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Editor’s Desk: Hello, Charles City; I’m glad to be here

Hi. My name is Bob, and I’m your new Press editor.

I’m delighted to be here, in a fantastic, forward-looking community, working with a great staff dedicated to providing you with news and advertising and more.

You may have heard that newspapers are dying. Some are struggling and some have closed as they try to find their place in a world where national and world news is available at the click of a web address, and Google and Facebook are eating their advertising lunch.

Bob Steenson.But do you know where newspapers are not dying, where in fact many are thriving? It’s in communities like Charles City across the country, where the local newspaper is still the best, most complete, most trusted source of information about the people, events and issues that affect readers’ lives, and the best, most reliable and most cost-effective way for local businesses to communicate with their customers.

Do I sound like a cheerleader for newspapers? You bet I am. I’ve spent my adult life working in newsrooms, starting at the Iowa State Daily student newspaper in college and enjoying stints at four other papers in Iowa and Minnesota before arriving here at the Press.

The way I see it, newspapers are more important than ever. One of the biggest issues to come out of the recent presidential campaign was the prevalence of  “fake news,” posted on websites and social media and spreading like wildfire across the political landscape.

At a time when more and more “news” is coming from questionable, unreliable or downright fraudulent websites, it’s more important than ever to have a source of news where trained and experienced professionals dedicate their careers to providing accurate, informed and fair reporting.

Way back when, in my first weeks fresh out of college and working at the Dyersville Commercial weekly newspaper, I penned a column about my “newspaper philosophy.” I wrote about what I thought newspapers should do for their communities, and how newspaper editors should fulfill their role in guiding newsrooms toward those goals.

Now, some decades later, much of what I wrote then still rings true. Here’s just some of it:

My Newspaper Philosophy

All newspapers need to be community newspapers, attuned to their readers and dedicated to meeting their readers’ needs.

A newspaper should provide balanced, accurate and fair reporting about the people, places and events that affect its readers. It is how that philosophy is put into play, how the editors and staff of the newspaper believe in it and practice it, that is the test.

Being balanced means taking the extra effort to find alternate sources, or going back to a reluctant source to explain the importance of including his or her position. It means making tough news judgments and not ignoring a viewpoint because it is unpopular or in the minority, but not sensationalizing a fringe view to an undue importance, either.

Being accurate means checking and double-checking. It means calling back a source when in doubt. It means not being afraid to admit we don’t know everything and seeking help when necessary.

Being fair means accurately representing what sources tell us. It means not misleading sources about the purpose or the nature of an interview.

A newspaper should provide lively, thoughtful, meaningful and sometimes just plain fun articles about the myriad people, places, things and events that make up a community.

The newspaper should be the first place people turn to for information about the persons and events that shape their lives. It should be the first place they turn when they want to find out what is happening in their community, and more importantly, how it will affect them.

A newspaper should provide strong reporting on the actions of local governments. That means doing more than attending meetings and taking notes. It means talking to real people and presenting real examples of the impact government actions will have.

The relationship between newspaper and government need not be adversarial, but a newspaper must be true to its duty of reporting the actions of government. Especially at the local level, the newspaper is often the only effective watchdog.

A newspaper editor should be a leader, a teacher, a coach, a mentor.

A newspaper editor should be a liaison between the newspaper and the public, a visible and active member of the community. He or she should be accessible, and deal with problems and complaints calmly, quickly and reasonably.

A newspaper editor should be consistent in his actions as representative of the newspaper to the public, as well as in his actions as leader of the news department.

A newspaper editor should support his staff, be willing to back them and defend them, but also be willing to admit mistakes graciously and correct them promptly.

* * *

The business of reporting the news had changed a great deal since I wrote that, in the last 10 years especially. Technological changes have had an enormous impact, and almost all newspapers including the Press offer the choice of receiving news and advertising on a screen as well as having it delivered to your door.

Newspapers face challenges, as do most businesses as society and the economy evolve.

But I firmly believe, as much today as when I wrote my first story as a college freshman working at that Iowa State student newspaper, that newspapers — especially community newspapers like the Charles City Press — still play an important, necessary role. Now more than ever.


I welcome comments, suggestions and yes, even complaints about how the Press is meeting your expectations. I also love getting story ideas from readers. You can reach me at 641-228-3211, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com, or stop by the Press during work hours. Chances are if I’m not there I’ll be around town or in the area, helping report the news.

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