As a publisher/editor/reporter, I am always looking for the next "big story."
My "beat" is city hall — the mayor's office, the Shreveport City Council, the Caddo Commission, the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission and the Caddo Sheriff's Office.
I also cover the Shreveport Police Department and the Shreveport Fire Department, which are located in separate buildings.
Before COVID I attended almost all the council work sessions and regular meeting as well as committee meetings. The same was true for Commission meetings.
I occasionally attended MPC meetings when controversial items were on the agenda. The recent rezoning request for Superior Grill Mexican Restaurant is an example.
With the pandemic, I am reduced to being a ZOOMER for these meetings.
Without getting to visit personally with elected officials and government staffs, it is harder to get "scoops." It’s a friendly competition with other media members to see who gets to "break" a story first.
Some weeks, the hottest news is the height of grass in street mediums. Or how many water main blowouts must be dodged in daily commutes.
But then, some weeks its like the proverbial news floodgates have been opened — no, actually breached and inundated.
Such is the case in the last week to 10 days.
My list of "big' stories — no, actually MAJOR new events — continues to grow. I am sure that by the time this is published on Friday, my list will be somewhat stale.
But there you go — the top seven through noon, Thursday, July 30:
1. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins accused of driving DWI.
2. City Attorney Mekischa Creal resigns.
3. Perkins qualifies for U.S. Senate race.
4. City auditor launches investigation of Perkins' alleged DWI.
5. Director of Shreveport Water & Sewer (DOWUS) Barbara Featherston resigns.
6. Review of SPD logs show no preferential treatment of Perkins.
7. GFO releases negative assessment of Shreveport Finance Department.
I know some readers will disagree with my list, and that's OK.
My point being is that there is so much major news about the city of Shreveport that it difficult to process, analyze and comprehend it all. That's no excuse, just a factual statement.
Unfortunately most of the listed news items reflect a negative narrative.
Note that I did not include such items as bond financing of $35 million to cover projected Shreveport budget shortfalls, the overwhelming challenges of compliance with the EPA consent decree and/or the recent spike in serious crimes.
The old adage of "if it bleeds, its leads”” is certainly prevalent in the local media. Like it or not, there is plenty of controversial issues to headline.
FOCUS SB is not ignoring these 'hot' topics, especially those that are reported ad nauseum by other the other media. In these days of the pandemic, positive news is harder to find. Nonetheless, that is my mission — to publish positive news, most of it for the first time in the local media.
Call me naive, senile or whatever, but I still hope and believe that "positive news" can sell.
Let’s hope so.
THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE July 31 ISSUE OF FOCUS SB - THE INQUISITOR.