Our division is identified as daily newspapers with a circulation less than 10,000. A number of newspapers in our category made cuts in their frequency of publication during the course of this year, and although they were judged in a different category after the made the change they were still up against us before then. In my column, I was told, I made it appear that there was virtually no one up against us for the awards when really there was plenty of competition. In no way did I intend to cheapen the awards received or the work done by my staff.
I was also informed by fellow columnist Andrew Barbano that just because I won first place for Best Local Columnist and there were no second or third place winners, it doesn’t mean I was the only entry. Sometimes, he said, judges can decline to pick a second or third place if there were no worthy entries. I like his explanation better, though I am not entirely convinced.
The point that remains unchanged from my previous column is that the Tribune is a newspaper searching for its identity. Are we a small paper that will always be a small paper with noble aspirations or will we be a small paper on our way to being something bigger? Here in the newsroom we are a little of both: Some days we give big attention to the little guys around Sparks and other days we try to tackle big issues that affect large numbers of people. I guess you have to try on different size breeches to figure out which ones fit best.
Speaking of searching for an identity, this week the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority decided the area needed a new one. The decision was made to drop the “America’s Adventure Place” slogan. Chosen to take its place was a “West of Center” slogan, which was quickly quashed by Reno Mayor Bob Cashell. News reports quoted him as not just disliking it, but also saying he was “embarrassed” by it. I am not entirely sure what was so embarrassing about it, but I agree that it was a strange idea. Clever, but it really didn’t communicate an idea that would make tourists stand up and take notice — much less travel here and spend money.
It seems that finding a marketable identity is a pretty tough around here lately. Sparks has tried with “Nevada’s Festival City” but the idea simply couldn’t stand up considering it would take a lot more “festivals” to live up to the name. And, according to news reports, the “America’s Adventure Place” phrase used by the RSCVA since 2002 never had adequate research behind it.
Government agencies are going nuts paying experts to come up with these marketing ideas to combat 11 straight years of declining tourism in the area. I am certainly not one of these so-called “experts” but in two short years as a northern Nevada resident it seems to me that this truly is America’s Adventure Place.
A few weeks ago I acquired a mountain bike. So far I have only ridden it along some off-road paths near my home in Lemmon Valley, but I can’t wait to ride it around Lake Tahoe or in the mountains. When the day comes that there is a path all the way from Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, you can be sure I’ll ride it (downhill, of course). I have traveled to Virginia City and the Bodie ghost town, ice skated in downtown Reno, attended many great concerts, attended sporting Wolf Pack and Reno Aces sporting events, ridden in a hot air balloon, hiked through the snow at Donner Pass and many other adventures.
When I moved here from Southern California, I assumed there would be a trade-off: fewer things to do for battling crowds and traffic. How wrong I was. The tourism folks around here know this and are still trying to sell these things to travelers, but too much attention is being paid to slogans and logos. The money spent on expert input only seems to be drawing criticism and debate, not tourists. When I choose a travel destination it is to see or do something specific. Target that money toward individuals who want to do the things we have to offer and they will come. Don’t try to dazzle people with a slogan or icon they’ll glance at in a brochure and then forget. A fresh slogan is fine, but I’m sure between all the tourism folks who already work in this town we can come up with something for a lot less money that will work just fine. And don’t try to get fancy with it — keep it simple.
Besides, if we are to believe what former state archivist Guy Rocha said to the Nevada Press Association last weekend, the Silver State needs to diversify anyway in order to have a viable economic future. But that’s a topic for a different day.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going for a bike ride.
Nathan Orme is the editor of the Sparks Tribune. He can be reached at norme@dailysparkstribune.com.
Post a Comment