An Interview of the Publishers, by the Publishers, 12/2/09
Matt: So, what are we trying to do here, by starting a newspaper?
Meta: Well, we’ve talked about the lack of in-depth coverage of local issues in Olympia, that’s one thing.
Matt: We need something to bridge the gap between big media coverage and blogs. There has to be something in between passively reading the corporate media coverage of our community and spouting off on a local blog. There’s a niche that no one is filling.
Meta: It’s like half the time Olympia can’t even hear itself think.
Matt: We do have a lot of really cool blogs here, but for the most part they’re scattered and kind of overspecific in scope, with very little research or synthesis. And the O is shriveling and moving away from having Olympia as its center.
Meta: There’s no meaningful context or unifying understanding. We want to bring people into a conversation around key issues of civic identity and help that conversation continue. And we want lots of different voices. But we want to stay practical, not get too abstract.
Matt: Yeah, good. Like, when we cover elections, we’re not going to just blandly print the biography and position paper of each candidate. We want to ask difficult and interesting questions, get a trajectory of the candidate, a sense of the real person, their philosophy of government.
Meta: And plug them into larger picture. Get beyond the narrow election issues, to see how they fit into the longer-term political culture and trends of our town. We want to be the place where people look for the broader perspective on stuff like this.
Matt: Yep.
Meta: I’m gonna call it “a forum for healthy, productive discussion of ourselves”. What else?
Matt: We want to promote local talent, musicians, businesses, people. So much gets missed in this town. I think it’s important, too, for people to see that other people are out there doing cool things.
Meta: And downtown Oly is cool, and we want to make it cooler.
Matt: Exactly. And we want to have fun.
Meta: Yeah, let’s be a little goofy. Have a hearty sense of amusement.
Matt: And we have no ideology.
, the artesian well, riding the bus, studying languages, spicy and briny foods, bad jokes. Dislikes: People who abstain from life or count carbs or refuse to have fun or worry too much.”], the artesian well, riding the bus, studying languages, spicy and briny foods, bad jokes. Dislikes: People who abstain from life or count carbs or refuse to have fun or worry too much.”]
Meta: Except that Olympia is cool.
Print is dead.
Long live print.
Meta: What do we say to the cynics who think print media is on the way out?
Matt: Well, the Sitting Duck worked, for one, for a while anyway. There are whole groups of readers out there who want information but won’t or don’t read the O. Or the O doesn’t cover it. When was the last time you read about a band playing a house party in the O? But the people who go to those parties spend money too.
Meta: So we’ll have advertising targeted to an untapped group of readers. Not that we’re all about the money.
Matt: Well, we’re a little bit about the money.
Meta: It’s easier to keep something going when you’re willing to work for very little money just for the sheer joy of it. Plus, the open and aggressively community-based submission policies will generate loads of content and a broad stakeholder base. You like that? I just came up with that.
Matt: Can we have a rule against buzz-words?
Meta: Sorry. I can’t think of another word for it.
Matt: Some people say everything has to be online now. Sure, online is great, and we’ll have some kind of online component, a relatively small one, but there is also value in putting out something physical, where if people are just walking around and going into a coffeeshop or somewhere, they’ll see it.
Meta: And newsprint feels good. Mmm.
Matt: Oh, and our calendar section is going to rock socks. I’m serious. Stop snickering. Stop it. There is no complete list of social and cultural stuff in Olympia. I want a calendar section people can tape to their fridge and look for events they never would have thought to go to.
Meta: Sorry. You’re right.
Matt: You and I are pretty plugged in to the community, in terms of—well, we know people from different parts of the community. And the people we know, know lots more people.
Meta: Plus, we’re good at what we do.
Matt: Yeah. And we basically live in the Oly subculture.
Meta: Are we getting a little puffed up here? I feel a little puffed up. Does my head look bigger to you?
Matt: Someone once told me that you have to have a large, well-regulated ego to get anything done that’s worth getting done.
Who are you two really?
Meta: Alright, let’s talk a little about ourselves. I’ve heard that you got yourself a “fancy education”. Is that true?
Matt: I have a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard.
Meta: Wow. That is pretty fancy. I got a BA from Evergreen.
Matt: And I went to Evergreen too, for undergrad. So, I think we’re permitted to make fun of smelly Greeners.
Meta: Of course. What other stuff have you done in Olympia?
Matt: I’ve been on the boards of two neighborhood associations. I was a city council member. I’ve worked on a lot of local political campaigns. How about yourself?
Meta: Well, I was a live-in volunteer at Bread & Roses from 2003 through 2007, and recently moved back there. I ran for Mayor of Olympia in 2007. I’ve been on several committees, like the Intercity Transit citizen advisory committee, the Oly Bicycle and Pedestrian advisory committee, the OPD chief’s forum before that folded, the ODA safety committee. What’s your favorite community thing you’ve done?
Matt: Well, maybe the parks and sidewalks levy. What I think I’m good at is taking a complicated issue and boiling it down for people – I mean make it understandable, not just simplistic. I think that’s key to good public policy and to strong communities, so I’m always happy when I can play a part in that.
Meta: You mean, helping people understand the issues and getting them involved in doing something about it?
Matt Likes: Soccer, mochas, Elvis Costello, DailyKos, geeking out on political campaign details, reading science fiction and history, telling people what to do and making it work out well. Dislikes: Activists who are amateurish (“just because you’re grassroots doesn’t mean you have to be unsophisticated and unprofessional”), toddlers on leashes.
Meta: Absolutely. My favorite is when people get excited about an issue and decide to do something about it. Even if it’s something I’m not particularly interested in. I just love watching that moment, where the light turns on and the person I’m talking to sees themselves on the map. Gah! It’s gorgeous!
Matt: We’re community involvement geeks. I just realized that. So what skills are you bringing to this paper?
Meta: I worked on the Cooper Point Journal – that’s the Evergreen student newspaper – for two years, as a copy editor and as managing editor. After graduation, when I joined the community at Bread & Roses, I started the Voice of Olympia street newspaper. I don’t have a strong background in reporting, per se; it’s mostly recruiting writers, editing, bringing together a publishable product. I’m really looking forward to helping develop our local writing talent. How about you?
Matt: Uh, well…
Meta: Okay, you have no journalism experience, but what else do you bring?
Matt: Organizational skills, from political campaigns. An ability to walk up to people and talk to them about anything, from being on the city council. Some graphics background. Pretty good writer.
Meta: Good enough.
Matt and Meta: We’re going to shut up about ourselves now. This paper is about Olympia, not us.
We want you to be a part of this conversation. Many of the articles we write will include or be based on feedback from readers. For example, when we review a restaurant or some such thing, we want you to help us review it. (See page 11.)
Or, if you are so inclined, you could contribute articles. (See the next column to the right.) Contact us if you’re interested.
We look forward to creating something – with you – that makes life in Olympia that much better. Thanks for reading. ◙