Finding common ground in the public's right to know
Much as Americans may disagree over politics, we share a belief in the public's right to know. This week's controversies were a reminder that a healthy press is vital to a healthy democracy.
Much as Americans may disagree over politics, we share a belief in the public's right to know. This week's controversies were a reminder that a healthy press is vital to a healthy democracy.
Here's the back story on Back Stories, a blog that will kick off in the Beacon soon. Beacon staff will use Back Stories to share some of the questions they're asking and some answers they're finding. It's a small feature that's part of a big commitment to connect with more potential sources and readers.
Clicks, retweets and "likes" are easy to measure. Harder to figure out is why certain odd facts and serendipitous experiences stick in our minds -- and sometimes transform them. How can the Beacon provide more of these memorable moments that shift our understanding of the world?
Five years is a milestone many startups never reach and many skeptics thought we'd never see. But the digital revolution is racing forward, and so must we. A prospective merger with St. Louis Public Radio could transform both organizations and the St. Louis media landscape.
To run 26.2 miles requires tenacity, resilience and commitment in the face of adversity. Monday, with lives on the line, those strengths of the human spirit passed a much more profound test.
It's not the appropriate role of news organizations to impose solutions. But it's very much our role to unearth insights, spread understanding and lay the groundwork for progress. We want St. Louisans to enjoy better health, and we hope Fit City can contribute to that end.
Those who chronically disagree on gun issues should agree on three points. First, more than 7,500 gun deaths in Missouri in a decade is appalling. Second, we should aspire to be a more peaceful society. Third, we must come to grips with some surprising realities behind that number to make progress.
Tuesday's municipal elections will be a humble exercise in democracy, but they will eventually hit home with at least as much force as a national or statewide race -- affecting school quality, property values, neighborhood development and the day-to-day life of about 2 million of the region's Missouri residents.
Sometimes news that matters here happens half a world away. A hometown favorite, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, and the chatty, authoritative reporting of Patricia Rice made the selection of Pope Francis compelling reading in the Beacon this week.
Behind the story of Tom Keefe's departure as interim dean at Saint Louis University's law school lies an interesting backstory worth sharing here for what it reveals about the inner workings of academia and journalism.