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Any newspaper realizes it would run a risk to print a story about partly clothed women posing for calendar shots.
The News-Review printed just such a story on the cover of our Sunday Life section on Oct. 16, photos and all.
The "models" were members of the Myrtle Creek Elkettes, most of whom were on the other side of middle age. There was very little skin revealed, and the funds raised on calendar sales went to a good cause.
Fundraisers such this one became popular after the movie "Calendar Girls" told the true story of a British women's garden club that raised money for leukemia research after a member's husband died. A similar fundraiser was used by Junction City's Long Tom Grange, in which male club members doffed their duds in a tasteful but amusing way to raise money.
Still, we got a few phone calls or e-mails from people who didn't like the coverage, which included three photos of the Elkettes in their posing gear.
I e-mailed our newly formed volunteer Readers Advisory Board and asked what they thought of the story and how it was handled. Was it "distasteful and ridiculous" as one writer claimed, or even "pornography" as another claimed?
Only a few of the 52 responses we received agreed with the criticism. A large majority came down on the side of publishing the story.
Here's a typical response: "Nice story. It's good to read about people having fun, especially when they're also raising money for worthy causes. I thought it was a perfectly delightful story. It was ... quite appropriate for The News-Review."
A few readers said that while they weren't bothered by the story, they thought it wasn't important enough to warrant the coverage.
"I'm not sure that I would have run that story if I had been the editor," e-mailed one forum member. " Talk about advertising that you're having a slow news day!"
Another wrote, "When we're fussing over whether or not women can pose for a fundraising calendar we are once again not fussing over universal health care, adequate childcare, unemployment and what noble cause our children are dying for in Iraq."
This tells me we haven't done a good enough job explaining to readers our goals in local news coverage. The writer is correct -- some news days here are slow because of a low crime rate and relatively few serious fires, and there's only so much going on in local government to write about.
Much of the news in The News-Review is no more breathtaking than a fundraiser. Much of what we do is tell about the fabric our community, of our rural lifestyle, of Scout groups, 50th wedding anniversaries and stories about our neighbors and their children.
We've performed our mission when at the end of a week or a month, readers can leaf through their newspapers and see a mirror reflecting the community. Sometime it's beautiful, sometimes ugly, sometimes sad, and sometimes -- like with the Elkettes story -- it's lighthearted.
We can't please every reader with every story, so we strive for variety. We hope that everyone can regularly see themselves in some way in the paper, or connect with a story or better yet, connect with the people in a story.
Here are some highlights from our reader panel:
* "My husband and I enjoyed the story. We're middle aged folks, and it's refreshing to see REAL WOMEN with REAL BODIES. Good for them!"
* "I do not see anything offensive in the article and it is about time REAL women became 'Calendar Girls' ! ... I would have thought you were wrong if you did NOT run the article."
* "The idea of taking mature women who don't look like gorgeous anorexic models and having them model in a nude yet modest way is actually very sweet. Little old granny ladies, middle-aged mamas ... having weathered many storms of life, posing in all their well-earned wrinkles, it's a great idea. Why can't we have more women who are normal gracing the pages of magazines and calendars?"
* " We were disturbed by the story ...There are such wonderful activities going on ... more newsworthy than this one. Their desire to fund their coffer is worthy but demeaning to women."
* "The Calendar Girls of Myrtle Creek did a good deed. My old fuddy duddy, preacher professor husband did not even raise an eyebrow!"
* "I think the women are doing what they can to assist their community and ... you also, are supporting their community by showcasing their efforts. Life in a small town should be shown in local papers."
Thanks for the feedback. Anyone who wants to join our Readers Advisory Board can do it on our Web site, newsreview.info, or e-mail me directly.
Bart Smith is editor of The News-Review and has room in his garage for an Elkettes calendar if they make a sales swing through Roseburg. He can be reached at 957-4203 or bsmith@newsreview.info.
The News-Review printed just such a story on the cover of our Sunday Life section on Oct. 16, photos and all.
The "models" were members of the Myrtle Creek Elkettes, most of whom were on the other side of middle age. There was very little skin revealed, and the funds raised on calendar sales went to a good cause.
Fundraisers such this one became popular after the movie "Calendar Girls" told the true story of a British women's garden club that raised money for leukemia research after a member's husband died. A similar fundraiser was used by Junction City's Long Tom Grange, in which male club members doffed their duds in a tasteful but amusing way to raise money.
Still, we got a few phone calls or e-mails from people who didn't like the coverage, which included three photos of the Elkettes in their posing gear.
I e-mailed our newly formed volunteer Readers Advisory Board and asked what they thought of the story and how it was handled. Was it "distasteful and ridiculous" as one writer claimed, or even "pornography" as another claimed?
Only a few of the 52 responses we received agreed with the criticism. A large majority came down on the side of publishing the story.
Here's a typical response: "Nice story. It's good to read about people having fun, especially when they're also raising money for worthy causes. I thought it was a perfectly delightful story. It was ... quite appropriate for The News-Review."
A few readers said that while they weren't bothered by the story, they thought it wasn't important enough to warrant the coverage.
"I'm not sure that I would have run that story if I had been the editor," e-mailed one forum member. " Talk about advertising that you're having a slow news day!"
Another wrote, "When we're fussing over whether or not women can pose for a fundraising calendar we are once again not fussing over universal health care, adequate childcare, unemployment and what noble cause our children are dying for in Iraq."
This tells me we haven't done a good enough job explaining to readers our goals in local news coverage. The writer is correct -- some news days here are slow because of a low crime rate and relatively few serious fires, and there's only so much going on in local government to write about.
Much of the news in The News-Review is no more breathtaking than a fundraiser. Much of what we do is tell about the fabric our community, of our rural lifestyle, of Scout groups, 50th wedding anniversaries and stories about our neighbors and their children.
We've performed our mission when at the end of a week or a month, readers can leaf through their newspapers and see a mirror reflecting the community. Sometime it's beautiful, sometimes ugly, sometimes sad, and sometimes -- like with the Elkettes story -- it's lighthearted.
We can't please every reader with every story, so we strive for variety. We hope that everyone can regularly see themselves in some way in the paper, or connect with a story or better yet, connect with the people in a story.
Here are some highlights from our reader panel:
* "My husband and I enjoyed the story. We're middle aged folks, and it's refreshing to see REAL WOMEN with REAL BODIES. Good for them!"
* "I do not see anything offensive in the article and it is about time REAL women became 'Calendar Girls' ! ... I would have thought you were wrong if you did NOT run the article."
* "The idea of taking mature women who don't look like gorgeous anorexic models and having them model in a nude yet modest way is actually very sweet. Little old granny ladies, middle-aged mamas ... having weathered many storms of life, posing in all their well-earned wrinkles, it's a great idea. Why can't we have more women who are normal gracing the pages of magazines and calendars?"
* " We were disturbed by the story ...There are such wonderful activities going on ... more newsworthy than this one. Their desire to fund their coffer is worthy but demeaning to women."
* "The Calendar Girls of Myrtle Creek did a good deed. My old fuddy duddy, preacher professor husband did not even raise an eyebrow!"
* "I think the women are doing what they can to assist their community and ... you also, are supporting their community by showcasing their efforts. Life in a small town should be shown in local papers."
Thanks for the feedback. Anyone who wants to join our Readers Advisory Board can do it on our Web site, newsreview.info, or e-mail me directly.
Bart Smith is editor of The News-Review and has room in his garage for an Elkettes calendar if they make a sales swing through Roseburg. He can be reached at 957-4203 or bsmith@newsreview.info.
