OPINIONS & EDITORIALS » CONNECTIONS

Written by Dolores Bader, 07/16/2010

Can you answer the question "What is the point of newspaper columns?" I ask my self that question every week. Columns and features go where news reporting should not; they venture into the area of opinion and – at times- provocation. In other words the aim is to get the reader to think along different lines. Over my years of editing I discovered a lot of subscribers to publications read two things: the headlines and the cut-lines (the descriptive blurbs under pictures.) Then they tend to assume they know the story.

Did you watch the ESPY Awards show on ESPN last week? If you didn’t you could have read the stories of the awards to UNI and the Ed Thomas family in any paper in the state. News coverage was accurate and good… "the facts Ma’am, just the facts." But there was more and only a feature story or a column can fill the gaps. A news story isn’t likely to tell you about the solemn looks on faces in the audience as the cameras scanned the huge crowd who watched the film of the Thomas story or listened to the heartfelt words delivered by Aaron Thomas on behalf of his family. The Thoughtful expressions on the faces of athletes known the world over as they watched as the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage was presented to the Thomas family was far more than a news story. Once again the legendary coach reached legions of people with a call to nobility. The smiles were gone and raw emotions were evident on many faces. During an evening of celebrity and celebration the real meaning of life was highlighted. We go this way but once…we need to get it right.

Ali Farokhmanesh, Adam Koch and their coach Ben Jacobsen did their school proud too. The Midwest was represented by class acts!

Now the controversial thought: a lot of the comedy routines scattered thru the show were downright pitiful! You are free to disagree because that is not a fact, it is an opinion. We all get one and they won’t be in matching colors.

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