When Will We See Family Friendly Picks in DT News Best of?

Is the Downtown News yet really aimed at the residential community? My impression is its mental picture of its readers is that they are mostly cubicle warriors by day who commute back to the 'burbs at night.

Last year, I requested that the Downtown News separate the Best Museum and Best Gallery category. I think this is an extremely unfair competition. How is a gallery like Infusion or 626 going to compete with MOCA?

You can bet that I'm going to suggest this again, but I doubt anybody will listen. They seem to use a template from years past.

Eric - maybe you'll win again for Best Blog.

Nic

I think you're right, Nic. I sometimes get the idea the DT News is running on auto-pilot. I think this is partly because of the constant demand to meet their deadlines is unrelenting. I think the nature of their business is everyone has an opinion about what they do and they can't possibly respond to each of our 'bright' ideas.

Then again, how hard can it be in this digital world to edit/modify their categories? Further, it seems they'd have nothing to lose and plenty to gain by doing so. I always understood one of the strengths of local media is its ability to cover local stuff unlike media behemoths like the L.A. Times and its ilk. In the example you gave, it is baffling the DT News wouldn't split the categories in light of the changes in the area. Acknowledging that things have changed, simply enhances their credibility.

I just emailed Lea Lion of the Downtown News to please separate the category next year. We'll see if I get ignored two years in a row.

You're telling me that people are going to actually raise children downtown? You're telling me that they're not moving out of the area by the time their kids have to attend school? I'll believe it when I see it.

You're right that we are busy and sometimes overwhelmed. But we're not ossified. Before I saw this string we had already discussed Nic Cha Kim's request, and we have three solutions for this good point going, two of them to take effect this year. As for the family friendly idea, I think it's great. Also, I'd love for us to do a feature on families living Downtown. I didn't know that was happening already, but with all the schools being built around Downtown, I was anticipating it as the next wave. Nice to know it's already here. Please email me if you have thoughts on how we should approach the subject. I'm going to write a separate post on who we think our readers are, to respond to that point.

We see the Downtown audience as a mix of government workers, private sector workers, a few tourists and, with gusto, the new residential community. We've been waiting decades for there to be a residential community, and now it is here! This year we made a big investment in our "listings" portion of our Calendar. We committed to print four extra pages a week to accommodate our full listings, no small expense for this small company. (We had formerly just uploaded most of them to the web site.)

We committed the space with the new residential audience in mind, knowing that the residents are the people most likely to DO something Downtown, in contrast to office workers, who tend to commute in, work, then commute out. We are looking for other ways to meet the interests and the needs of the new residential population Downtown, and we would appreciate your suggestions.

For a long time our in-house thought was to find ways to get readers out of their cubicles to experience the city. Now there are residents to do that, and we are thrilled. btw, I live Downtown, as do some of the others who write for us. Several others live close in, too.

~~~ You're right that we are busy and sometimes overwhelmed. ~~~

I like to think that's because the area you cover really is starting to come into its own. Its revival is a very satisfying and long overdue turn of events.

Hi Everybody, Great news... I'm glad to report that the Downtown News has listened to the suggestion and made all the appropriate changes. There won't be a ballot this year, but they will recognize the best museum as well as the gallery that receives the most votes. Best Gallery will be an official category starting next year.

I have big doubts that my gallery will ever win, being that it's more of a screening room than an art gallery, but I don't care about that. One of the galleries in Downtown will be recognized and that's good enough for me.

Nic