We support showing off our district

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

The two candidates' meetings run by the Chronicle for would-be Wanganui district councillors have been well attended and informative, sometimes inadvertently so.

And while new ideas have been thin on the ground, there has been considerable agreement on the issues facing our district and on the general direction forward.

A good number of candidates believe Wanganui has an image problem; that it is seen in a less-than-flattering light by the rest of New Zealand and that is stopping people visiting and even taking up residence.

It is understandable and predictable that some of them pointed the finger at the Chronicle as prime purveyor of bad news and, thus, a significant contributor to that negative image.

As one of the hosts at these forums, I went through a few "don't-shoot-the-messenger" moments as successive council hopefuls said the Chronicle's front page was to blame.

Every editor has heard this before and every editor has grappled with this issue, trying to balance the good stuff with the less savoury aspects of life.

I know many would like just the sanitised version with the bad bits taken out, the contentious issues left alone.

I also know that so-called "bad news" is highly popular with many readers. Among the most-watched shows on television are the soaps where people fight, argue, swear, cheat on their spouses and commit crime with alacrity. The punters love them.

The Chronicle is, of course, jam-packed with good news and positive stories but it is often the other ones that people remember.

Our responsibility is to reflect the community in which we operate and to perform that task truthfully - warts and all.

That said, promoting a positive image of Wanganui is also part of the responsibility of the local paper. Success and progress in our district reflects well on everyone.

So when a new council is elected and it starts to work on promoting our many assets, I want the Chronicle to be in there supporting that effort and doing its bit to show the best of Wanganui.