I’m Relevant. Really. Not.

Kathy Gilbert’s editorial last week scolding the various candidates for not taking advantage of the free publicity offered by the Green River Star couldn’t help but to remind me of a scene from last year’s horror/comedy, “Jennifer’s Body,” starring Megan Fox as Jennifer and Amanda Seyfried as Needy.

Needy: Why do you need him? You can have anybody that you want, Jennifer. So why Chip? Just to tick me off? or is it because you’re just really that insecure?

Jennifer: I am not “insecure,” Needy. God! Wh–? That’s a joke! How could I ever be insecure? I was the Snowflake Queen!

Needy: Pffft. Yeah. Two years ago — when you were socially relevant —

Jennifer: I … am … still … socially relevant.

In her editorial, Kathy did little more than cry out to the world, “Don’t ignore us! We are still socially relevant!” But really, are they? The so-called in-depth reporting that the Green River Star provides to their readers is little more than a stenographer service, used to retype and relay the press releases handed out by the candidates. That would be fine, if they even did that right.

A quick look at the front page of the same issue that contained her editorial shows the real cost of depending on the local newspaper as a reliable information source. By misquoting Mr. Burnside, in a bold-faced aside of all places, The Green River Star was able to completely change Mr. Burnside’s message just by leaving out one word. It is no wonder so many candidates turn to alternative media in order to frame their message accurately and without fear of mishandling by an uninterested staff typist.

Kathy makes the claim that 80% of American voters read newspapers, but data from Scarborough Research (2009) shows that only 43% of Americans read a newspaper on any given day, and that readership by every demographic and age group is declining. Blind self importance is part of the reason main stream media outlets all over the country are slowly dying.

I have to question Kathy’s “wonder” about the seriousness of the candidates who haven’t yet responded to the Green River Star’s information request. I have spoken to at least a few candidates who have never been contacted by the Green River Star at all since they filed. Also, I wonder why, if the Green River Star is so intent on being a relevant part of the upcoming elections, they chose not to attend the forum hosted by the White Mountain Library for the four year commission candidates. Newsprint is hardly the media powerhouse that it once was, but the one meaningful foothold they have managed to keep is in local news. Even so, with eleven of the fourteen primary candidates there to answer questions from the public, the Green River Star couldn’t be bothered to attend.

It make one wonder how serious The Green River Star really is about being a relevant news source in Sweetwater County.