Bighorn,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the importance of local news in a local newspaper. We certainly will keep working on improving the writing. I'm sure you'll let us know where you see editorializing creeping into news copy. For the record, the article that Sugar Magnolia referred to was an editorial board opinion and not a news article.

Ms. Magnolia: Far be it for me to defend the VicAd, but I buy/read a local newspaper to keep up with local events and news. Just as I turn to the local TV (despite the broadcasters-in-training) for the same. In todays world of instant info, I can acess the broader news at any time in a moments notice. I look at local media as the ONLY source for local happenings and would like to see them remain local.

In a market this size, we shouldn't expect the major news services to give us much attention. That is why I subscribe to the VicAd.Moving up the food chain, I seek out the Chronicle, the SA Express News, The Caller Times, the McAllen Monitor, and the Dallas Morning News for regional takes and state views. Along with those I add a fair mix of the national broadcasters to keep up with an even wider take.

I would not be a reader/subscriber to a VicAd that featured Darfur, Iraq, or Obama/McClain on the front page of every issue. Unless there was a local slant to such an edition. For that I commend the VicAd for filling their role.

As for the quality of the journalism, I am a critic in the same vein as you. Poorly composed and written news stories are troublesome. As well as "editorials" that are disguised as "news". It is interesting that Mr. Cobler apparently shares our concerns and hopefully is in a position to effect some improvement in this area.

Thank YOU, Mr. Cobler, for a civil discussion. I look forward to following the evolution of the VicAd.

Sugar,

Thanks for clarifying. If you didn't get past the top of today's front page, then you missed the article about funding problems for local transportation projects. Of course, few online readers commented about that story either, so don't feel bad. It is an interesting challenge to publish stories that people say they want to read and those they actually do read. We try to find the right balance between interesting and important stories.

I maintain the pregnancy story is a combination of interesting and important. Such a medical story touches almost everyone. The accompanying graphic explained the medical issues surrounding the rare and dangerous condition. Most who read the package would have learned something about the human body.

In terms of other local stories, I would encourage you to go through the rest of the print edition, particularly the Crossroads section. That's where we had these stories:

- Calhoun County mourning local victims of the Texas bus crash
- A humor column on home ownership by Aprill Brandon
- Reader comments about water quality in light of the recent vibrio case
- An update on the vibrio patient
- An update on the condition of Carol Paul
- Victoria residents speaking at the city council meeting about the tax rate
- A City Council discussion on automated garbage collection
- Coverage of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's appearance in Victoria
- A recap of police being called to the Gonzales school board meeting

Of course, that doesn't mention the additional local stories in our Sports section, our Good Living section, and our new Farm & Ranch page. Your comments point out another challenge we have in making sure readers see all of the coverage we have. That's where we have to be smarter about our packaging and presentation.

People do seem to dwell on what's on the front page. They also invariably talk the most about a certain type of stories. If you subscribe only to the Houston Chronicle, I don't see how you'd get any news about where you live. In the Chronicle, the only story you'd see on the list above is the update on Carol Paul. My impression is you want a lot more state news. We'll keep working on that, too.

Thanks for the exchange.

Mr. Cobler - thank you for your speedy reply. I realize sometimes you and your staff must feel caught between a rock and a hard place, for trying to make everyone happy is quite impossible. I understand the value of a feel-good story, and also the interest of the locals in the chupacabra legend. But FRONT PAGE coverage? Unbelievable. So for the sake of argument, let's forget about the world and national stage, and, since you call the Victoria Advocate a "community" newspaper, let us focus on local news. There is much to be reported around these parts, and such NEWS should be placed ON THE FRONT PAGE. To me, pregnancy and chupacabra tales DO NOT merit placement on the front page. The front page should be where REAL NEWS is reported. I fear that I got off on a world/national tangent in my last post and as a consequence did not make this clear enough. That is my fault. I hope I come across clearer now. Feel-good stories and fairy tales belong in the entertainment section. Please reserve real news for the front pages. That is my point, clear and simple. I do get the print version, and was limiting my discussion to the print version only. I saw those two stories on the front page today, and I did not have the stomach or the heart to read the rest of the paper. I will continue to get my news from the Houston Chronicle (print and online). If I ever desire to read a story about a "miracle pregnancy" then I will pick up the Victoria Advocate again. The only reason I do not cancel my subscription is because my grandmother likes having something local to read.

Sugar Magnolia,

News of Darfur or the Georgia-Russia conflict will never be the specialty of a community newspaper. We do have considerable coverage from wire services of these stories in the newspaper regularly. For example, today we had about 25 column inches on Georgia in page A6. We had another 30 column inches devoted to this story on page B6.

If you read only on the Web, you may not see this coverage. On our Web site, however, you can scroll through even more extensive state, national and world coverage that's updated 24/7. We have more news from around the world available to you at your fingertips than any time in the 162-year history of the Advocate.

If we regularly had front-page stories about Darfur or Georgia, I'm not sure how that would enhance Victoria's reputation. Personally, I think Victoria is a wonderful place to live, and we shouldn't sell ourselves short. Our story today about a miracle birth of twins is just the sort of feel-good piece many readers tell us they want to see.

I agree with you that people should seek out many news sources. The Advocate is, by far and away, the best source of local news, advertising and information, in my opinion. I'd never, though, suggest to anyone they should limit what they read.

Chris

Arlene - bless you for bringing this up, although I doubt anything will be done about it. I have addressed this time and again in blogs, posts, etc. The poor quality of syntax, grammar, and spelling are truly an embarrassement. I do realize not everyone is an ace speller, or will always form perfect sentences. So grab a DICTIONARY, people. That is what they are made for. Editors NEED TO EDIT. Proofreaders, please PROOFREAD! I am glad that Mr. Cobler is aiming to develop more time for proofreading. I sincerely hope the Victoria Advocate carries through with this.

Mr. Cobler, with respect, I strongly believe that cover stories of a pregnancy and yet ANOTHER version of the Chupacabra tales DO NOT positively contribute to the Victoria Advocate's reputation. There is war in the world right now, genocide, Darfur, Georgia. Alternatively, there are positive stories on the world and national stage occurring every day. Take off your blinders! Get out of this little regional mindset you and your staff are caught up in and be a serious publication, or just don't publish at all. Any real news of any consequence is buried (if it is covered at all) on back pages of the VicAd. Again, I have complained about these issues ad nauseum, with no effect. I am glad to give praise where praise is due, and I have done that many times concerning the VicAd.

It simply sickens me to know that so many children reading the paper these days will know little to nothing of world and national events, but plenty about a chupacabra, if the VicAd is their primary news source. Thank heavens it wasn't mine.

Thanks for the feedback, Arlene. I'll share your comments with Community Conversation Editor Tim Delaney, who also teaches part time at the University of Houston-Victoria and Victoria College. All of our staff has college degrees, of course, but we certainly can do better with our copy editing and proofing. That's a top goal for us. We were just talking today about getting pages completed earlier to leave more time each shift for proofing. The daily deadlines can lead to some embarrassing mistakes.

The Victoria Advocate is its own worst enemy when it comes to the quality of its writing.  The Editorial for August 13 concerning the flesh-eating bacteria  is so poorly written as to make it almost impossible for me to concentrate on the content.  Please, if you must hire grade-school students to write editorials, could you not at least hire an English major as proofreader/copy editor?