One of my colleagues, on more than one occasion, has expressed their amazement to me that I can write an opinion piece every week.
“I don’t know how you do it,” they will say.
Some weeks, I don’t know how I do it either.
Those of us who write for a living also suffer from writer’s block, especially when it comes to writing an opinion piece. In some instances, it is very easy to have an opinion on a matter – and I have been known to put opinion to paper on various issues, and rather easily.
In other instances, it is sometimes best to bite your tongue when it comes to an opinion piece. Such a situation would be in the early days of a controversial topic when you don’t have enough information to form an opinion.
And other weeks, my children provide plenty of fodder for me to write about.
Then there are weeks like this one, where I am sitting at my computer early on a Tuesday morning, wracking my brain and trying to come up with a topic to write about.
And after an hour of sitting here, the best I could come up with is a column about how I have nothing to write about.
And then it hit me…
Bits and pieces.
Bits and pieces are what we in the newsroom call a page or a column that encompasses many topics, some of which have no apparent connection.
It is also a favourite column format of some of our readers, so here are some bits and pieces.
‘Who the hell is Happy Gilmore?’
That iconic line from the 1996 movie Happy Gilmore is often quoted around my house, especially when watching golf and there is a player I have not heard of before.
While scrolling through golf news on the weekend, I came across a story about Happy Gilmore committing to play college golf at Ball State University.
At first, I thought it was a publicity stunt, perhaps for a Happy Gilmore 2.
No, it was about a high school senior from Indiana named Happy Gilmore.
“Who the hell is Happy Gilmore?”
Born Landon James Gilmore, he acquired the nickname “Happy” because he hits the ball a long way like the Adam Sandler character. The name stuck, and he loves it.
Gilmore, the student, enters all of his tournaments using the “Happy” moniker and even posed for a photo wearing a Boston Bruins jersey, similar to Sandler’s character.
And naturally, his announcement last week committing to Ball State has garnered the attention of media everywhere, from Golf.com to Sandler.
Sandler congratulated Gilmore on social media, quote tweeting Gilmore’s post and commenting, “Pulling for you.”
Also on Twitter, an account going by the name Shooter McGavin – the arch nemesis of Gilmore in the movie, played by Christopher McDonald – also congratulated the high school senior.
Of course, McGavin (some believe McDonald is behind the account) got some friendly chirps in while he was at it.
“Congrats but I tell you what, you’d be something in one of those long drive contests. Hell, you’d probably make a very good living. Traveling around, hustling at driving ranges. Just a thought.”
Sounds like Shooter McGavin, doesn’t it?
I wonder if Shooter will host a party on the ninth green at 9 p.m. for him…
Bell layoffs
Also in the news… Bell Media announced on June 15 they are laying off 1,300 or so employees, many of them in the newsroom at local radio and television stations.
Bell has also sent a request to the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) seeking permission to lower the numbers of local content they are mandated to produce each week.
Bell, Let’s Talk…
Bell, like many large media corporations, blame listener/viewer habits as the reason that ratings and revenues are down.
That’s not the real reason. They are not successful because Bell, and all other large corporations, deliver a poor product.
Greg Hetherington from 100.1FM The Ranch – a locally-owned radio station – explained it best.
“Management of Bell should be looking in the mirror for who is to blame. Listeners are smart. They don’t want fast food radio. They want local content, local people and a local radio station that is engaged in the community.”
You could also say the same thing for community newspapers like this one.
People will read community newspapers when it has content relevant to the community. They will support local newspapers when they are engaged in the community.
And local newspapers can thrive when owned and managed by those who live and work in the community, not a boardroom in Toronto.
As shocking as the Bell announcement is, local media will survive and thrive.
This newspaper is living proof.
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Mike Wilson is the editor of Midwestern Newspapers. Comments, feedback and story ideas are welcome at mwilson@midwesternnewspapers.com.
