My Sunday column

Forum unleashed


The call seemed fairly innocuous — part wisenheimer, part spoofery. I knew it might get an angry reaction, but it didn’t seem too bad so I printed it.
Wham!
Don’t mess with the old folks eating breakfast at Hardees.
If you don’t know what I’m talking abut then you must not be a regular reader of Today’s Forum, which runs daily in the newspaper, usually on page 2.
For years Today’s Forum consisted of a question posed by the editors of the newspapers, sometimes the question was a serious one, often tied to the day’s news events. Other times the question was more of a lark.
No matter what the query, we always received responses.
Recently we experimented with not asking a specific question, instead letting callers decide for themselves what they wanted to discuss.
The result has been a flood of calls. A handful of people have said they preferred the old method and some other callers want Today’s Forum done away with entirely, but the vast majority of our callers clearly prefer having the freedom to say what they like.
And in the case of one recent caller, it was about his dissatisfaction with the number of older customers monopolizing the tables at a popular local breakfast spot.
The response was amazing, with dozens of people calling in to defend the right of our older folk to enjoy their gravy biscuits in peace.
They’ve earned the right, was the consensus opinion.
“The “Hardees episode,” as it will now be known, illustrates a point that every newspaper editor and reporter needs to remember. What the public is interested in — what readers will respond to in a passionate way — often has little to do with what The Associated Press or CNN thinks is the most interesting item of the day.
Not everyone is thrilled with Today’s Forum.
Some folks who call in get angry when their comments don’t make it into print, so let me take this opportunity to offer a few tips on getting your wisdom in print.
First, don’t assume that your comments won’t get in just because they aren’t in the next day. We have only so much room for the forum responses and right now the response is overwhelming. Give us an extra day or two.
Second, keep it brief. Most forum comments that make it into the paper are two to four sentences long. This isn’t a lecture hall at the Sorbonne. The people who type in your comments are pressed for time. Get to the point quickly.
Third, don’t get carried away with the hyperbole. We don’t have to agree with your comments to print them, but it’s not our job to provide you space to make a fool out of yourself. Use some common sense.
Fourth, don’t libel people. You can say smart alecky things about politicians and other public figures, including yours truly, but Today’s Forum isn’t a launching pad for unproven accusations.
Fifth, watch your language.
Sixth, no commercials for businesses. No attacks on businesses. It’s not fair to people trying to make a living.
Seventh, turn off the TV and the radio when you are calling in. Put the squalling baby in another room and tell the toddlers to hush. We’re not likely to spend much time culling your words of wisdom from a general cacophony.
Eighth, don’t call five straight times.
Ninth, there’s more to life than illegal immigration. Feel free to comment on the subject, but this isn’t the Minutemen hotline.
10th, Saying “You won’t print this” doesn’t encourage us to print it. Just make your point.
Hope to hear from you all soon.

The number is 706-272-7748.