It’s easy to write the truth when no one’s arguing with it. The real test is writing it when everyone already thinks they know what it is. Local controversy moves fast. A post goes up, a comment thread builds, and by the time we’ve started making calls, half the community has already picked a side. Reporters don’t get to jump in. We have to slow down. We have to ask better questions, wait for real answers, and write what’s true, even when people have already made up their minds.
Writing for a local news site means we don’t just cover what’s happening in our towns. We live here. When we publish a story, we’re not sending it off to strangers. We’re sending it to neighbors, teachers, parents, and people we pass in the checkout line. That makes the work more meaningful, but it also makes it harder.
Especially when the topic is controversial…