Readers expect the newspaper to dissect activities at city hall, to give them the details when sewer rates change or the police department restructures itself. But those issues show the true character of those wielding power and influence, and the newspaper won't relent in seeking answers to questions readers are asking. Much of what city employees do goes unnoticed in the press because it doesn't rise beyond what is expected. We don't print pictures of birds hanging on a wire because that's what birds do. It's not news.
News is about reporting the unexpected.
But just as we have an obligation as the public's eyes and ears to report controversial matters, fairness dictates we also serve as the conduit from which local residents learn of the good deeds done by those on the public payroll, or efficiencies achieved that will lower the cost of running our city. We've done those stories, and could do more. We're working to improve on that score. On both sides, those stories usually include reaction from elected officials, because in a democracy, that's not only where the buck stops, it's where it starts.