https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GbTMRD6QSSuJRiWNBM2y3RaxhzD470ax/view?usp=sharing
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Welcome to Zee Moore
Xiomara “Zee” Moore has joined the Delaware State News
as an intern reporter. We feel honored she has decided to further
her education through Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA.
Immediate Family: I currently live with
my mother, Glenda, and my older brother, Xavier.
Where are you from? Or Where did you grow up?
I was raised in Dover, Delaware for pretty much all my life but was actually
born in Tampa, Florida. Currently, I live in Magnolia, DE.
Prior employers and very brief job
description? I write for the University of Delaware’s student-run
newspaper The Review and was a Senior Mosaic reporter where I wrote
articles mostly on newsworthy cultural moments. In addition to being a
reporter, I was a member of The Review’s Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Advisory Board where we aimed to increase coverage of diverse topics
and aid reporters in finding sources with diverse backgrounds and/or
perspectives. Also, I write for the university’s Division 1 ice hockey team as
a journalist intern.
Hobbies/Interests: I
love listening to music, especially Spanish music. Also, I have an oddly deep
love for various Native American cultures and musicals.
Thursday, June 10, 2021
Time to take our Opinion pages to new levels?
Time to take our Opinion pages to new levels?
By Joe Smyth
INI Board Chair
In an age when too many newspapers are pushing the political opinions of their owners, publishers or journalists, INI’s newsrooms deserve a solid B+ --- maybe even an A --- for reporting the news with purposeful neutrality. Many of our readers have become raving fans who appreciate that they can depend on us for straight reporting.
But there’s another important part of INI’s mission --- facilitating the community’s civil discussion of public issues --- where we probably deserve only a C+ and could do a lot better.
It’s not that we don’t publish a variety of viewpoints on our print and online Opinion pages. The problem is that not enough people are participating.
This has become a national predicament and a threat to America. Too many people have concluded that it is too risky socially, financially --- or even in terms of the physical safety of their families --- to express their political opinions.
America’s politics have simply become too toxic for many reasonable people. And when reasonable people in effect give up and “drop out,” guess who is left? Too often the ideologues of the extreme right and extreme left --- each anxious to shout down, embarrass and harass anybody who disagrees.
The internet, cable television and too many major newspapers have made things worse: the internet by giving voice to bullies and trolls; the so-called cable "news" channels by catering to people's prejudices and driving their viewers even farther left or right; major newspapers by allowing --- and even encouraging --- opinionated news coverage.
The predictable result is each side shouting down and demonizing the other. Of too little listening and too much shouting. Of far too many citizens harboring outright hatred of “the other side,” too often to the extreme of physical violence.
In such an atmosphere, is it any wonder that so many reasonable people want nothing to do with politics? Why so many mainstream Americans avoid participating in discussions of public policy?
Could INI help find solutions --- one community at a time? Could our readers help us find a better way?
Could our communities become inspiring examples of citizens listening to and learning from one another via vigorous but civil exchanges of their views?
Could this be an opportunity to help citizens overcome the polarization and distrust --- too often fanned by reckless social media and agenda-pushers posing as journalists --- that have so divided our nation?
Here, to start our brainstorming, are some preliminary thoughts for your reactions and suggestions:
- Should we be clear about our desire to uphold every
citizen’s right to express opinions about public issues, as long as they
do so with civility and without misstating opinions as facts?
- Should we become more proactive in encouraging citizens
to participate in discussions on our opinion pages --- and thanking and
encouraging them when their submissions meet our civility standards?
- Should we ask our opinion page contributors to consider
making a Civility Pledge to abide by a set of guiding principles for civil
discourse --- and to help set an example by participating in such
discussions at least once a month (even if it’s as simple as a response to
our Question of the Day)?
- Should the Civility Pledge include…
a.
Proactively participating in civil discussions
of public issues?
b.
Genuinely attempting to understand those with
whom we disagree?
c.
Maintaining an open mind and finding common
ground whenever possible?
d.
Disagreeing with others without demonizing,
insulting or bullying them?
e.
Identifying one’s own opinions as opinions (not
stating opinions as facts)?
f.
Speaking for one’s own self, without
misrepresenting the views of others?
g.
What else should be included in such a pledge?
- Should people who make the Civility Pledge be welcomed
as members of our Civility Advocates --- perhaps one such group in each of
our states? (Just think about the exciting possibilities for
interaction with these groups, such as email contacts, zoom sessions, story
brainstorming, discussions about our opinion pages, etc.!)
- When submissions don’t meet our standards, should we
return them to the sender with the reasons why, and urge them to edit and
resubmit? Would we use customizable email templates with links to
relevant articles in our online Civility Learning Lab? (We would develop
the email templates and the Learning Lab with input from our Civility
Advocates.)
- Should we review all posts to make sure they meet our
standards before taking them live on our websites? Should our
desire, however, be to allow citizens to express their opinions as long as
they are stated civilly and truthfully? (This isn’t a Free Speech
issue. People are free to post their opinions elsewhere or shout
them from their rooftops. But would the Civility Pledge and Civility
Learning Lab be tools that reasonable people in our communities could use
to be Civility Advocates?)
- When a writer has reasonable grounds to fear bullying,
harassment or threats for expressing unpopular views, should we allow them
to use pennames instead of their actual names if they prefer --- as long
as the Civility Pledge is honored and we know the writer is
authentic?
- While we obviously should not allow misstatements of
facts, media “fact-checking” too often reveals the political prejudices of
the fact-checkers. Often, the solution can be for writers to clearly
state their opinions as opinions instead of representing them as facts.
(This could be explained in the Civility Learning Lab.)
- As our Opinion pages grow, should we make full use of
our virtually unlimited space online, while including a “delicious sample”
in the print editions to drive more traffic to the more extensive
discussions online?
INIers and fans and followers of INI, please email your
reactions --- pro or con --- and your suggestions to joesmyth@newszap.com. Thanks!
Monday, June 7, 2021
INI welcomes Olivia Montes
Olivia Montes has joined
the Delaware State News as a reporter through an intern program with MDDC. Olivia’s hometown is Middletown Delaware
where she resides with her mother, father, brother and dog Teddy.
Banner May Mission Story
Sometimes, things just go right.
Earlier this year, the Banner’s
readers were asked to name their favorite businesses and most respected
neighbors – the Stars of the Banner and 2021 Hometown Heroes – and the response
was stunning. No need to get caught up in stats, but this was more, and better,
than we hoped.
So the marketing crew and the staff in Cambridge
cooperated on planning, publicizing and holding a celebration in honor of the
nominees and winners, which took place on May 20 in the amphitheater on the
bank of the Choptank River.
As a newspaper company that values community building, it
was our pleasure to do all this. But the response was more than gratifying.
Not only were there tens of thousands of votes, but the
turnout at the event meant that hundreds of our friends had a great time saying
thank you, enjoying great weather and grooving to the band, “Tranzfusion.”
Our coverage gave us a chance to highlight this
enthusiasm, and the new website provided a forum for a fun slideshow so we
could share the successful scenes with our readers.
The event, the awards and the coverage made quite an
impression on this community, with folks still posting shots of their plaques
on social media more than a week later, and displaying signs throughout town,
highlighting their success.
The Banner’s coverage helped tie it all together, and to
remind our readers that our mission is still central to the work we do.
https://baytobaynews.com/dorchester/stories/stars-of-banner-celebration-at-sailwinds,48583
Delaware State News Mission report for May
Delaware
State News Mission report
May
brought a new chapter in pandemic coverage: how the state would come out of the
COVID-19 pandemic, lifting state of emergency orders that have been in effect
since last March and April. We’ve reported daily, since the virus was detected
in Delaware in March 2020, what the impact was in the state, with
hospitalizations, critically ill, deaths and positive and negative tests. With
the creation of a vaccine, we incorporated new statistics on vaccination rates,
vaccine supply in Delaware and variants detected here. All along, we have
strived to explain how it affects people.
This month, the focus was how the state planned to loosen restrictions and how it would impact residents.
Tim Mastro largely has handled this coverage. His bylines included news that the CDC and the state were easing mask-wearing for fully vaccinated individuals and capacity restrictions and the unknowns of that enforcement as many businesses could still require masks per individual store policy. Gov. John Carney said the state would use an honor system over a vaccine passport. The state also announced it would lower school bus capacity rules, allowing many public school districts to declare in late May that they planned to return all students to school full time this fall. And to cap the month, the state announced an incentive program for designed to get Delaware to the 70 percent benchmark for vaccinating that percentage of our population. The grant DE Wins! will be used to fund prizes for individuals 12 and up and also allow small businesses to incentive customers to get vaccines, offering freebies and discounts to those who have proof of vaccination.
Early in the month, as people awaited changes, he wrote on the state’s plan to continue to enforce COVID-19 compliance in the meantime.
The May 22 front page “Unmasked at last” captured the man on the street coverage by Tim and Katie Redefer of the new rules and how they were being put into effect and enforced. To educate and inform readers, we ran a breakout box for several days highlighting the new changes at a glance.
One couple featured in their story shared the experience as they ate in a restaurant for the first time in over a year. “I think we both feel maybe a little trepidation, but mostly OK,” Amanda Wilkins said. “That is a new feeling that we haven’t had in a while.”
https://baytobaynews.com/stories/unmasked-at-last-public-reacts-as-state-eases-covid-19-rules,48645?
Schools coverage by Glenn Rolfe and Brooke Schultz:
Links to Tim’s coverage:
Somerset County mission story for May
If “For Sale” signs or even new homes are springing up in
your neighborhood it’s due to the new demand for housing.
Somerset County is not immune to this national trend, and
despite fewer transactions last year prices continue to rise making it a
seller’s market as available inventory is slack. See the story at https://baytobaynews.com/somerset/stories/homebuying-returns-to-crazy-pace,49608
Homebuying returns
to ‘crazy’ pace
Somerset County lacks
inventory as average sale price rises;
more buyers than listings
By Richard Crumbacker
Crisfield-Somerset County Times
PRINCESS ANNE — COVID-19 may have held back down some
parts of the economy but real estate last year started “very hot” and is now at
the point where it’s “very crazy.”
According to Coastal Association of Realtors President
Joni Williamson, a low inventory of available properties combined with rising
demand and historically low interest rates are resulting in some sellers seeing
multiple offers.
“Once the stay at home orders began the real estate market
came to a halt for a couple of months,” she said. Existing transactions were
allowed to finish as agents got creative with virtual showings and remote
contract signings.
Over time fear subsided about unemployment and a slowing
economy and real estate picked up as people returned to some sense of normalcy.
“Things got crazy again around May and June of last year,” Ms. Williamson said.
People were able to qualify for mortgages, and now “there are more buyers than
listings.”
That combination is resulting in rising prices but with
continued low interest rates buyers are finding they can purchase “more home
for less money than ever before.”
In Somerset County home sales had been rising over the
last three years with nearly 275 changing hands in 2019. That fell in 2020 by
around 50 but the dollar volume last year at nearly $37.9 million was just 3.2%
less than 2019. Meanwhile the average sale price in 2020 was $157,282 or 8.1%
higher than 2019.
In 2021 the problem is inventory. “It’s our biggest
struggle,” Ms. Williamson said, as there are more buyers than homes to sell.
Except in Princess Anne where there are over 40 units under construction
elsewhere across the county few houses are going up to satisfy demand.
“We are at the lowest inventory number since 2015 and even
before that,” Ms. Williamson said. “Almost every well-priced listing that we
see has a multiple offers...eight, ten, even more on some listings which is
leaving a lot of buyers out in the cold.”
Properties that were on the market on average more than
130 days were at 95 days in 2021 and through February of this year at just 53
days.
Urban buyers are looking at Delmarva “because they don’t
want to be stuck in the city” and are coming here to enjoy rural living, Ms.
Williamson said. “Well priced homes are selling very quickly.”
There are also those who found they can work from home
thanks to the changes brought about by the pandemic. Colin Zimmerman,
government affairs director for the Coastal Association, said remote workers
are moving to where there’s a higher quality of living — as long as there is
access to broadband.
“They’re choosing now to move, but if you don’t have the
inventory (or infrastructure) available,” they’ll find someplace else, he said.
Ms. Williamson said the current homebuying craze differs
from 2008 because many buyers then were jumping in with adjustable rate
mortgages with little regard to prices rising faster than appraisals. When the
bubble burst and home values crashed these new buyers found they owed more than
the property was worth magnified by rising unemployment and a faltering
economy.
She said even if
buyers today are willing to pay more than the appraisal it will be harder for
them to get a lender to go along with it, leaving those who can afford to buy
with cash at an advantage. There are more cash purchasers than in the past, and
they are more attractive to sellers than those who have bank financing or a
loan from FHA, VA or USDA.
“We’re expecting the housing market to be strong through
2021,” Ms. Williamson said, and as the pandemic subsides “more people will be
able to qualify for homes.” Interest rates are expected to rise somewhat, but
she expects they will remain below 4%.
“Lenders don’t want to put people in homes they can’t
afford,” she said.
Currently there is less than four months inventory
available for sale in Somerset County. Ms. Williamson said new construction
should be happening at a faster pace because of demand, but currently material
shortages and wait times are hampering that market.
She also said other counties, like Sussex in Delaware, are
“builder friendly” and attracting homebuyers out of Maryland.
Salisbury Independent Mission stories for May
The beating death of a Delmar police officer traumatized
the community like few news stories ever have. Cpl. Keith Heacook,
answering a routine, early-morning call, was ambushed and brutally assaulted.
Three days later, the brain-dead officer was removed from life support, his
organs donated to recipients in need. The officer’s death was followed by
community outpourings and a funeral attended by more than 1,000 police
officers. Through it all staff members of the Delaware State News and Salisbury
Independent worked in unison to record and reflect the community’s grief.
https://baytobaynews.com/stories/hundreds-gather-for-funeral-procession-for-cpl-keith-heacook,47626?
https://baytobaynews.com/stories/services-planned-monday-in-salisbury-for-cpl-keith-heacock,47233?
https://baytobaynews.com/stories/community-mourns-passing-of-delmar-police-cpl-keith-heacook,46707?
INI welcomes Laura Walter
Laura
Walter joins Independent Newsmedia as the Special Sections Editor for
Independent Newsmedia, Delmarva. She previously studied English and art at
Washington College before returning home to enjoy 10 years as a Coastal Point
reporter in Sussex County, Del.
Florida Mission Stories for May
Algae,
algae everywhere
It’s summer.
It’s hot. And that means the Lake Okeechobee News is once again covering the
algal blooms on Lake Okeechobee. Issues involving algae and cyanobacteria
(which is not a true algae but is commonly called “blue green” algae) and how
algal blooms may affect water quality provide lots of story material in the
Lake Okeechobee News. We strive to explain the complex issues in language the
average reader can understand, without “dumbing down” the science.
The lake
issues have gotten very political this year, with some elected officials trying
to sway water policy to benefit their districts at the expense of others.
Readers
around the lake have come to rely on the Lake Okeechobee News for comprehensive
coverage of the water quality, safety and supply issues.
Shots in
arms
As the
COVID-19 vaccinations slow down, the INI Florida newspapers continue to update
readers with the latest information on masks rules, safety precautions, local
vaccination numbers and vaccination opportunities.
Help
wanted – Everywhere!
With more
than half of the adult population vaccinated and businesses reopening, area
businesses report a widespread problem finding employees. The Lake Okeechobee News explored some of the
reasons behind the worker shortage.
https://www.southcentralfloridalife.com/stories/businesses-have-trouble-finding-workers,19146?
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