Written by I received a good suggestion from Kennydale-resident Mark Hancock. He encourages everyone to consider completing the Renton Reporter’s survey, and then sharing some of your ideas for others to see here on this blog.
I know that the team at the Renton Reporter wish to make the paper responsive to the community’s needs and interests. So please share what you think they can do to improve. Are there columns they could add, or remove, or other content changes they should make? How do you feel about the paper in general? It would be fun to have a discussion about this. Again, fill out there survey first (if you are going to) and then please consider sharing some of your best ideas in the comment section below!
Here is Mark’s email:
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Randy –
It would be fun if you set up a thread on your blog for what people think of the Renton Reporter, how it could be improved, etc.
They want input anyway (see their survey article on page 10 of today’s Nov 7 issue).
Here’s the link to their survey (I haven’t done it yet – says it takes 20 minutes):
http://www.pulseresearch.com/rentonr/
Cheers,
Mark
As added incentive, the 11/7 Reporter article says “participants’ names will be entered in a drawing for prizes including a $3,000 grand prize, $1,500 first prize and $500 second prize.”
I do not like litter. . . .
Why I find the paper interesting and would probably pay to have MAILED, I travel frequently and find picking up the plastic wrapped
sludge (the paper) when I return annoying. . . .Have called them mutiple times requesting delievery to be stopped. Pleasant people on the phone but no action to stop
our neighborhood banned it
Our homeowners’ association board banned the Renton Reporter from being distributed at our homes due to complaints from some (not me) who consider it to be a nuisance and trash.
I’d like it back at my home.
I’d be curious to know what could remedy the situation for some of us.
I filled it out, it was long. I think the paper should get bigger go back to South King county journal big. Renton has so much growth and things happening and i think a lot is not getting mentioned in the small paper.
Phew! That was one looooong survey, most of which was market research-related. Anyway, since changing formats and ownership, I’ve found the Reporter to be pretty fluffy, and far less interesting than it used to be. I’m sometimes very disappointed to open the Reporter and see nothing but fluff. While I can appreciate the need to cover inspirational stories and community events, I think the front page should always focus on harder-hitting news, especially economic development and regional issues that have significant impacts on Renton. I’d also like to see local columnists and cartoonists featured, not John Carlson or Ken Schram. In a city of now 80,000 people, it shouldn’t be hard to find local talent.
Great comments so far…I agree with all of you so far. I would also like to see additional reporters added, and see the reporting staff acting more agressively. They should be encouraged to to ask tough questions, and follow-up with experts when discussing controversial topics. Both the public and the city officials will benefit if the Renton Reporter can serve as our investigators.
Also, the human interest stories are intersting to me if they have a direct link to Renton. Renton attractions, high school sports, business openings, etc are intersting, but such events in Issaquah or Federal Way don’t really interest me that much (and they make me feel like something must be wrong with Renton to not have anything worthy to report on).
I also wish the paper was mailed to us (as mentioned above), as in the old days. It’s too wadded up and wet when I get it, even if it is in plastic.
1. Hire someone that knows how to write. Dean’s the only one that can construct a coherent sentence on a consistent basis.
2. Focus on the things that are unique about Renton.
3. Give the schools more exposure. The more the general public knows about what’s going on in our schools, the more of a part of the process they become, and our kids need as much support as they can get. It takes a village, and all that.
I just finished the survey-whew, it IS long. For the website I most often go to for local news, I typed in RandyCorman.com! Get that, Renton Reporter! Give us more real news about Renton.