This is, as you can see, The LeFlore County Journal. Actually, this is a blog to tell you a little about the Journal.
First off, The LeFlore County Journal is a web site dedicated to the people, places and events of LeFlore County.
In later blogs, this fine blog will cover a lot of different areas, about the county, people, thoughts and whatever enters my mind on that date. As you can tell, the Journal web site is not finished and probably will not be completed for a long time or if ever. There will be changes and updates on a daily basis.
I want the Journal to be a place where you check in daily (hopefully several times a day) to find out what is happening in the county and your little neck of the woods. You can even make the Journal your home page (hint, hint!)
My primary emphasis is on county news and the 13 communities with high schools. Will the Journal neglect the fine citizens of, say, Shady Point, Hodgens and others? Negative. All you need to do is send in the information and the Journal will post it.
To make the Journal successful, your help is vital. How? Well, as you know, LeFlore County is big. There are around 50,000 people living in the county (give or take a few) and many communities. With a current staff of one (me), it is impossible to cover everything, or even most things.
That is how you can help. Whether you live in Arkoma, Talihina or any spot in between or to the side, if something is happening, let the Journal know. It’s easy, just send an email with all the important stuff such as the five W’s (who, what, where, when and why). A phone number to call you back would be handy also.
I am not a rocket scientist, as anybody who knows me will be glad to tell you, and there might be a question or two. Maybe even three.
But the important thing is LET THE JOURNAL KNOW! It might not be important to the whole county, but if it is something you are interested in, so am I, and possibly many others.
We have a submit a story button you can punch (or preferably click on) and send the information in. Also, you will be able to submit photos, write blogs if you choose, list your business in our business services category, advertise with the Journal, place and look at classified ads, and much more.
There is a county calendar so you can see what is happening in the county on a certain date. If your event is not listed, all you have to do is submit the information and it will be posted.
I will spend much of my time on the people of our county, primarily the county government (along with town government), schools and sports. If little Johnny is on the honor roll at Fanshawe, little Johnny will have his name in the Journal, provided somebody is nice enough at the home of the Grizzlies to send in the information.
One area I feel has been short changed by many of the traditional media sources is the county sports. They do not get nearly the coverage they should. That may be because I really, really like sports. But also because many years ago, I was a sports writer in college and the first four years of my professional (well, maybe not thaaaat professional of a career).
I hope to have all the scores from softball, football, basketball, wrestling, soccer, baseball, golf and even fishing tournaments. I know, they don’t have scores in fishing tournaments, but I hope to post the results and maybe a picture or two.
Again, the Journal needs your help. Coaches, stat keepers, organizers or whoever can send in the information and it will be posted ASAP (that means as soon as possible, in case you were wondering).
Hopefully there will be readers in each community who send in stories about what is happening in their town, along with scores and much more. These people are called stringers and I love them. Not enough to pay them, sadly, but if you want to be a stringer for the journal, please let me know.
That is where the Journal has a big advantage. If somebody sends in information about a t-ball game on Tuesday night, most of the time the information will be posted that night. Now if that information comes in after the publisher is in bed, it will be posted first thing the next morning.
Other newspapers in the county or covering the county, typically will not post the information until it has appeared in the paper, so you will have to buy the paper or read it for free while you eat a sausage biscuit at whichever fine eating establishment offers both the newspaper and a sausage biscuit.
Or, they don’t have a web site.
I don’t have newspapers for sale. Maybe in the future…maybe not. It depends on how things go. But you will not have to wait a day, or days, to see the story.We will also have obits, wedding notices, anniversaries, babies and reunions. FREE, that’s right free! That information will be posted at no charge to you. And, sorry, but I also failed to mention you can read the Journal for free. That’s no charge. You don’t have to pay to read it or even subscribe! The only area where you do have to do that is in the forum section, provided you want to post anything.
As I mentioned earlier, the Journal will offer advertisements from our fine county merchants, business service listings and classifieds. If you enjoy the Journal, you can be kind enough to send in a donation. That is how the Journal will make enough money to keep its publisher fed. And I do like and need to eat.
In our forum, the readers can discuss whatever they choose to discuss: Sports, political events, how much a movie stunk or pretty much anything. Only one rule: No personal attacks! You can say, for instance, “I don’t feel like Bart Simpson is qualified to serve as (fill in the blank)” You may not say: “$%#@, Bart Simpson is a stupid (fill in the blank)!”
I like my readers, but not enough to get sued by Bart Simpson, or whoever, because somebody writes something about Bart or anybody else, that is not generally acceptable.
That’s enough for this blog. Hope you enjoy leflorecountyjournal.com! Let me know what you think.
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As most of us who have computers and know "the news online" is now readily available from most major newspapers, usually in large city's or metropolitian areas. It was only a matter of time until someone with an entrepreneural spirit like our friend Craig Hall, recognized this opportunity and acted on it. It is inevitable that Craig's LeFlore County Journal will become a force to be reckoned for the dissemination of newsworthy information, above and beyond that now readily available.
ReplyDeleteI am somewhat sad to see print newspapers relegated to a back seat in this business, but, it is most certianly the wave of the future, rural news avaialable at the speed of light.
Gone are the days when someone in the county passes away on friday afternoon and the public is not aware of it until next tuesday or wednesday's newspaper. Gone are the days when "letters to the editors" cannot be read online. Even "news items" may now be electronically published on a more timely basis
hopefully eventually eliminating two and three month old "news". Sooner than later, gone will be the days of traditional newspapers declaring bankruptcy due to unavoidable cost's for labor, benefits,newsprint and other necessary operational expenses. We are now in a state of "survival of the fittest". Meaning, those who cannot keep up with the current and forthcomming trends are doomed to cease to exist.
A majority of homes now have computers, and soon more will have them as tehcnology increases and computer prices decrease. Computers are being taught to our kids in schools at an early age. And, in the future, to be successful in any field of endeavor, one will have to have some computer knowledge. All of these factors combined support the undeniable fact that "online news is most definetly the wave of the future". But, in the interim, there still exists an important need for newsprint, to have a medium for pusblishing legal information, courthouse record, state, county and municipal resolutions and ordinances and items that require "proof of publication" by law.
Why am I sad ? As a teenager, while my family and I lived in a little town called Farwell, Texas for a few years, I worked at the Stateline Tribune newspaper as a "printer's Devil" (helper). And, I suppose some of that ink must have gotten into my bloodstream, because I have always liked to write, have always been a subscriber and fan of our hometown newspapers. And, thanks to our excellent Carl Albert State College, I was able to acquire an Associate Degree in Journalism.
Most of you readers are aware that I frequently write "Letter's To The Editor's" of our county newspapers. And, now, in addition, I hope Craig will allow me to be a continual contributor to the LeFlore County Journal and that you, the readers will check the Journal out daily, if not several times throughout each day as the news can now "travel at the speed of light" twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, from LeFlore County Oklahoma, USA.