Times Comment - I want to know what you think (From Borehamwood Times)

Times Comment - I want to know what you think

1:59pm Friday 26th June 2009

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As an avid reader of our local paper, I noticed there was something missing in the last few editions — the comment section.

Can I ask where it has gone or whose great idea it was to drop it?

Only I think it’s a very important part of the paper. It shows people the paper does have a local link and an outside opinion on what’s going on in our area.

Unless they want the paper to be full of adverts with very small items of news, I think it’s very important to bring back the comment/opinion page to show the public of Elstree and Borehamwood the paper is interested in what is going on locally.

I rest my case.

Councillor Ernie Butler, Labour, Cowley Hill ward

Editor’s response:

I was sorry to hear Councillor Ernie Butler was disappointed with the demise of the editor’s comment.

I agree with Mr Butler, it is very important for the paper to have a local link. In fact it is vital.

If we lose our link with our readers, what do we have? After all, our newspaper is there to inform people who live, work, or go to school in the area. We absolutely should care about what matters to our readers — they are the very reason we exist.

However, the comment section was dropped at the time of a redesign of the newspaper a few weeks ago, with the belief that the opinion page should be a forum for our readers to have their say, not the newspaper. But, never wanting to disappoint an ‘avid reader’ of our titles, and in the interests of democracy, perhaps we should put it to the vote?

Letters please about the editor’s comment — to print... or not to print?

Rachel Sharp, group editor

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