Editor, Times-Union:

Let’s talk turkey, or at least be frank. As a matter of being straight forward, I’m a former journalist, started at the Times-Union 68 years ago and went from there, even to California for 25 years.

Do you really understand how fortunate you are to have a viable local newspaper?

Many newspapers in our size community have either gone belly up or are struggling.

The costs of publishing any newspaper, weekly, daily, whatever, are astronomical when compared with 50 or so businesses down the block.

Newspapers need public support, so they have to change things, people change, businesses change, the economy changes, writers change and very often the newspaper must change its style of publishing the news ... just to stay alive.

I can tell you the Times-Union has changed over the years trying to keep up with the kind of news wanted in a very competitive atmosphere of computerized social networking, massive television offerings being expanded as you read this. Sadly, most people, still only reading at a seventh-grade level, don’t bother to read the news with its characteristic detail of happenings.

Journalism in general is not what it used to be. Not at all. Local reporting requires more detail now than when we summarized things in my day. Now, if you do not publish absolutely everything from a meeting the public will cut you to ribbons, insulted you “forgot” a cake recipe.

I loved my time at the Times-Union. I would bet the reason we came back to Warsaw some years ago was because of my wonderful experience with people like Editor Curtis “Gabby” Garber, and Publisher Reub Williams, men of very high character.

I wrote this because somebody complained to me in a way I could not ignore. I could go on venting but it will only salve my injured feelings. I love this place called Warsaw!

Dan Lee

Warsaw, via email