Reflections from a year with the editorial board

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” So said English poet and monk John Lydgate many centuries ago. I’ve found this quote to be comforting advice through my working career and, most recently, as the Community Member on the editorial board of our Chico Enterprise-Record.

Newspaper editorial opinions covering controversial subjects often bring out the passion of readers. And there was no shortage of challenging subjects for editorial consideration during my stint with the E-R. Redistricting, Tuscan Water District, COVID, devastating wildland fires, and homelessness to name a few. Strong feelings were in plentiful supply.

And then there are the “Hits and Misses” presented every Saturday. Sort of “mini-editorials” if you will. I enjoyed being a part of identifying topical issues for this section of the editorial page.

Back to April, 2021 when I was selected to be the first Community Member on the editorial board. Because of COVID, we mostly met via ZOOM which was the case for my first meeting a year ago.

What to expect, I wondered? I’m a bit of a news junkie and always read the E-R as well as other news sources on a daily basis. I try to keep well-informed. And I talk to a lot of people about community issues.

But would I be heard? What would my role be? I knew I wouldn’t actually be writing pieces, but how serious was the E-R about wanting community input? My apprehension quickly evaporated when I was warmly received in our first ZOOM discussion and my thoughts were taken seriously. I immediately felt I was part of the team. The E-R was genuine in its desire for community input.

Something I soon learned is that editorial board members can have very different opinions on any one issue. That was often the case in our discussions. The editorials the readers see don’t always reflect unanimous opinion among the editorial board members. What readers see is the opinion of the newspaper, not necessarily a unanimous opinion of each member of the editorial board.

My experience with the newspaper is that it earnestly seeks different points of view to digest in its search for opinion. That is healthy. It’s too easy to just charge forward with a pre-conceived notion. Anyone can do that. Instead, the editorial board conducts itself as a “sounding board” of different thoughts and ideas. It explores, debates, analyzes and, ultimately, comes to an opinion (again, not always unanimous).

The common ground for the editorial board, reached through candid but respectful discussion, allows continuing dialogue each week knowing that each person’s individual opinion will be considered. And it works! I found the editorial board to be deliberative, open, and reflective in discussing editorial topics.

My view? We need similar focus as a community on common ground and less negative focus on our differences. Differences are all around us. They should be acknowledged, understood, and celebrated, not demeaned. It’s worth some time to explore why people with different opinions have those opinions and to respect those opinions, even when different from ours.

The people who do this as their living have gained my deep admiration. The folks I worked with on the E-R editorial board spend untold hours virtually every day of the week to provide informed and reasoned opinion to the readers. They are passionate about presenting thoughts and opinions that our community should consider.

I thank Mike Wolcott, Rick Silva, Mandy Feder-Sawyer, and Sharon Martin for welcoming me as the first Community Member on the editorial board of the Enterprise-Record and for everything I learned from them. This was a new and rewarding experience for me, and I will be continually grateful for the views they bring forward on the editorial page, even when I might be one of those who won’t be pleased all of the time.

John Blacklock was our first community member of the editorial board. He was formerly Butte County’s Chief Administrative Officer and a member of the Silver Dollar Fair board of directors, and also serves on Butte College’s board of trustees. In addition to numerous other roles in public service, he’s also a devoted fan of the Oakland A’s.