Time to get ‘imbued;’ here’s how you can help
They are the three letters a lot of people believed represented the future of the newspaper industry.
No, not SOS. Although I can commiserate if that was your first thought. It’s mine on a lot of days as well. Yes, our industry is showing more than its share of signs of distress. But we’re not done yet.
We’re just different. I wasn’t thinking about LOL either. And that includes all the readers who get a chuckle out of my incessant stance that the newspaper does not have a political bias. Admit it, made you laugh, didn’t I?
Now I get to go old school on you. Phrases such as SOS and LOL are acronyms. Yes, the nuns taught me well. An acronym derives from using the initial letter from a series of words to form an abbreviation, usually in all capital letters. Think NATO, or FBI.
It is believed that SOS, the standard distress call, was first used by sailors putting out an urgent call to “save our ship.” Seems pretty accurate for the newspaper biz these days. LOL? As anyone with a Twitter account can attest, that is short for “laugh out loud.”
Back in the days when Twitter mandated that your pithy comments be 140 characters or less, acronyms such as LOL came in pretty handy. Today, when I get a Tweet containing lots of capital letters, it usually has a different meaning. I can’t tell you how long it took me to realize that a Tweet in all caps denoted that the person is yelling at you. I get lots of those.
Actually, the acronym I had in mind was UGC. That stands for User Generated Content. The idea is pretty much what it says. Unless you have not noticed, there are a lot fewer people working at newspapers these days than just a few years ago.
So someone got the idea that maybe instead of simply reading the news, why don’t we ask our loyal readers to actually take part in the process. They could write blogs, take photos and help us cover their communities.
At one point we had a full roster of bloggers. Today they have dwindled to a precious few. That’s one of the lessons we learned from this grand experiment. Everyone wants to write a blog. Right up until the time they start blogging. There is nothing quite like an empty screen inviting you to fill it up with wondrous prose to douse the literary spirit. Believe me, I know. I do it every day.
That was another pitfall. “You mean you’d like us to do this every day?” Uh, yes, that’s the idea.
There was one other minor setback. A lot of times, when people invest their time and efforts in an enterprise, they like to be rewarded for it. Yes, pay in the newspaper business remains ridiculously low, but not many people are willing to do it for free.
Let’s just say that today there are serious doubts about the viability of UGC. And that does not even begin to tackle the much more important aspect of the actual content, is it accurate, fair, interesting? Yes, I know, you’re wondering,
“In the Daily Times? What time does that start?”
The truth is we still use User Generated Content, but it is not going to save newspapers.
It can, however, deliver a little holiday cheer.
That’s why once again this year I am asking readers to join us in what has become something of a holiday tradition. We call it “Homes for the Holidays.”
Every day on Page Two of the newspaper we feature a photo from around the county. It’s called Focus on Delco. But for the period from Thanksgiving through Jan. 6, we christen it “Homes For the Holidays.”
The idea is simple. Each day our mission will be to deliver a bit of holiday cheer with a photo of a Delaware County home all dressed up in its holiday finest.
The truth is I have an ulterior motive. Each year it seems I find it a little harder to get into the holiday spirit. That’s when I bank on my daughter. No one celebrates the holiday like this girl. In fact, we have a term for it. We call it getting “imbued.”
Let’s face it, much of what we dwell on most days here at the newspaper can be pretty depressing. So why not offer a little dose of holiday cheer? Well for one thing, it opens a bit of a Pandora’s box. If you haven’t noticed, some people take this holiday decorating thing pretty seriously. People can get a tad pushy when they noticed their holiday extravaganza has not yet been recognized by the Daily Times.
Second, so long as I’m playing Grinch, we’re not exactly overloaded with photographers these days. That where the User Generated Content comes in. If you’d like to show off your house – or if you have always been especially impressed by a house in your neighborhood – by all means get involved. Snap a picture with your phone and email it to me at editor@delcotimes.com.
There are a few ground rules: First, I don’t make guarantees. Just because you send in a photo does not necessarily mean it will wind up on Page Two. There are only so many days between now and Jan. 6, and we will run one each day. We also will feature an online gallery, so those that do not appear in print could wind up there.
We also will try to make sure every area of the county is represented. Will we hit all 49 towns? Probably not.
And yes, I no doubt will receive any number of calls from outraged readers who can’t comprehend why I have not assigned a photographer to take a picture of their holiday masterpiece.
If you love it that much, why not take a picture of it yourself and send it in to me. One tip: Notice the format of Page Two. Vertical photos present a problem. Please turn the phone sideways for best results.
Homes for the Holidays is not our only holiday endeavor.
Once again this year are proud to partner with the Salvation Army in Chester in presenting the Merry Christmas Fund. This marks the 47th holiday season we’ve joined with the corps on this very important holiday fundraiser.
The funds raised during the Christmas season benefit both the city of Chester and all of Delaware County.
Here’s what to do if you want to help.
Monetary donations via check or money order should be made payable and mailed to Chester Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1032, Brookhaven, PA 19015. Please do not mail donations to the Daily Times.
As we have done each year for the past 46 years, we will once again run a list of all those who contribute to the fund, along with a short note.
Donations of toys, food and clothing also can be dropped off at the Salvation Army Headquarters at 151 W. 15th St., Chester. For information on donation drop offs or Kettle Worker openings, call the Chester Corps at 610-874-4266.
My mission this year, as it is every year, is to become “imbued” with the spirit of the season.
Now all I need is an acronym.
Maybe MNB. Merry and Bright. Works for me.
LOL.