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Coverage should be equal for area schools
The question of which of "our" local teams deserves the most coverage is one that I have had to answer several times of late. The answer is simple. All of our area teams deserve coverage whether it is Jackson, Leroy, Jackson Academy or any of the other fine schools we are fortunate to have in our area. The South Alabamian is a newspaper located in Jackson. But, we do cover teams outside of Jackson. We will continue to give great coverage to our schools here in the city limits but we also have obligations elsewhere. Why should some of the kids who happen to go to school just over the bridge or down the road not deserve coverage? Remember folks, we always talk about how great of a community we live in when trying to convince people from out of area to move here. And it is the truth. We have great people living here. But I think sometimes we can get too tied up in feelings over a rivalry or worry too much about what the other school is doing instead of just supporting our teams. When I first started working here almost two years ago, I made a promise to make it my responsibility that all of our local schools get the fair and equal coverage they deserve. That still stands! That does not just include one or two schools either. Fair and equal coverage means we will cover schools outside of Jackson with the same fairness we give to the Aggies and Eagles. Although the passion you show for your school and programs is great, you must understand that The South Alabamian does not have a favorite team. Our job is to give the schools in our coverage area fair, equal and accurate coverage. And that is what we will continue to do. We will offer all the schools in the SA coverage area their moment to shine on the front page whether it is in volleyball, basketball, baseball, football or any other sport. This will be done without depriving any school their weekly coverage. I have had a process of rotating the top stories each week on the front page and will contiune to do so. So if you happen to pick up the sports page this week and your team is not the top story, don't fret. There is no need to get all in a frenzy. You will get your chance. Just remember, we are dealing with kids here. Let's not lose focus of that. Why should a kid outside the city limits not be allowed to be on the front page? If someone can give me a good answer to that I would love to hear it. In my mind, I think all of our kids should be recognized for their achievements. To think otherwise is just selfish, in my opinion. Many of the people here in Jackson follow Leroy athletics just like many of the people in Washington County follow teams in Jackson. With the close proximity of the schools in Clarke and Washington counties there are Aggies, Bears and Eagles sprinkled all over the place. It would be unfair to those subscribers to not give their favorite team any coverage. I am not calling out one person or one school because the questions have arisen from many different places. So to call out one would not be right on my part. I just wanted to take this opportunity to clear the air, once again. We are having more success than any other area in the state in all our sports. We have someone bring home a championship year in and year out. This week, the Aggies and the Bears have shots at baseball championships while the Millry Wildcats are looking to bring home the blue trophy in softball. So lets all take a step back and enjoy the success our teams are experiencing. There is no need for me to explain the process of who gets on the front page each week, so I will not bore you with those grueling details. I just want to make sure everyone understands that we will be fair to everyone and everyone will get their time. I hope this column answers any questions that may be lingering about the coverage process.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me at The South Alabamian or drop in and say hello.
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