Jeff Gauger devotes his weekly column to Amendment One. Good. N&R readers should understand the thinking behind the paper's approach to the biggest political issue in the state, and learn more about the new editor in the process.

It's rich fodder for a column. What are the tensions and imperatives involved in covering a topic that stirs strong feelings on both sides? What shapes coverage -- why, for example, were two signficant local protests ignored, while a front-page article on the subject was reported from another county? 

What a great opportunity for Gauger to tell us something meaningful about his approach to the job and his vision for our hometown daily.

And he wrote about...none of that. Instead, he burbles on about different shades of blue used for campaign signs. Seriously. 

Even he acknowledges that this approach trivializes the issue: "The color of political yard signs isn’t important, not compared with Amendment One itself." But about the importance of the amendment he says not another word. So what does he conclude about the meaning of the color schemes? His answer: "Beats me."

One wants to give him the benefit of the doubt, but maybe that first taste of cornpone was the real Jeff Gauger.

Meanwhile, A1 on this pre-primary Sunday is dominated by a long feature on Our Friends the Trees. Seriously. Gauger's News & Record front-paged a story that would fit comfortably into an old copy of My Weekly Reader.

Comments

[Fec]

Gauger appears to be the right man for the job. The signs in my neighborhood are neither shade of blue and many on both sides are red.

He posts comments from readers about printing the comics twice for the same day and having to run two sets at once to fix it, but ignores the lie Trudy Wade told and they printed about the reason for her inaccurate ad regarding Justin Conrad.

Apparently, Robin Saul isn't the only one who thinks the readers are idiots. Of course, we tend to judge others as we judge ourselves.

[Roch]

Don't forget the ad for a Digital Big Toe among the cornpone.

[Ginia Zenke]

Trees? This, in a town where trees barely last past the planned life expectancy of the next streetscape/sidewalk configuration? This could be a real turning point...

[bubba]

I gave the new guy the benefit of doubt. He couldn't possibly be worse than the old guy.

I may have to reassess that opinion.

[Billy Jones]

Bubba wrote, "I gave the new guy the benefit of doubt. He couldn't possibly be worse than the old guy."

I reserve the right to reserve the right to reserve... ;-)

[Brian]

Didn't read the Trees article, but sure hope it talked about the grotesque clearcut taking place on what used to be a beautifully forested Grimsley campus. Apalling.

[Truth in the News]

Heck, we can't even get complete sentences and sentences that don't begin with cojunctions out of the N&R, as grammar loses out to glib and trendy e-speak. Relevance and substance in the writing is far too much to hope for. I feel a subscription cancellation coming on.