Yes, folks, we're for real

As the City News Editor, one of the most surprising things I've seen is just how many people take us seriously. I mean, after all, we're just a bunch of students, not a professional news organization, right?

When I started writing for the paper last semester, I was shocked that people were willing to talk to me after I said I was with The DM. For the most part, no one treated me differently than if I had been with the Oxford Eagle, the Clarion Ledger or any other major newspaper.
I find that has stayed true as I moved up to the editorial position.

It still amazes me that the mayor of Oxford is willing to answer pretty much any question we ask him, let alone the fact that he is now holding a press conference for us twice a month. It amazes me that we have a reporter who is one of the first people the chief of police talks to after something happens. It amazes me that the vast majority of the city's aldermen, most of whom have demanding day jobs, are willing to talk to us, even when we call them at home.

Now, this isn't to say there are no problems. There are still a number of people who refuse to ever say a word to us, or who look down on us as a third-rate amateur rag. But thankfully, and to my perpetual surprise, these people are the minority.

So more than anything, I want to say thank you to Mayor Richard Howorth, County Administrator Richard Copp, Alderman Janice Antonow, Police Chief Mike Martin and all the other administrators who lend us their voices, opinions and knowledge when we ask them. Without them, the city section of our paper wouldn't do much good.

And now, I ask for the opinions of whoever is reading this. I need to know how to cover this city better. What do you see going on in Oxford and Lafayette County that you want to see in the paper? Is there an area of the city's culture that we're missing? Let me know what you think by emailing thedmnews@gmail.com, because there are only so many recycling and Pathways Project stories I can run.