How many actual reads per day do you think SandBox gets on all local and regional tourism, government and law enforcement news?
Where do you think those reads come from?
How many times per day, after someone in a significant position of power within those three news arenas reads SandBox for the day; do others pound away at that post and take a look for themselves as word spreads?
Dozens. We may be read by others in clandestine ways, a 'guilty obsession' if you will; but we are read. Especially the public comments.
Our local newspapers used to enjoy that notoriety until they began to censor and ban content.
Why is that statement above important on a post up of Steve Skinner's column today?
Because of the way he wrote what he has to say.
Brilliantly done, Skinner pounds a square peg into a round hole by using words. Forcing, simply by the honesty of his words, local governments and power brokers to pay attention with focus aimed at our valley wide tourism marketing and how we spend public funds.
In reality, not disinformation or preconceived perception; what/who is 'SandBox Nanny'?
Why, she's nothing more, in reality, than a pen name and third-party persona that posts and comments on a news aggregate blog. That is all 'she' is. 'SandBox Nanny' is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Is it her life story? In reality and the genre of spin and stories told, she is a pen name and third-party persona.
Who is Steve Skinner, in reality? Why, he is nothing more than a guy who happens to write an opinion column for the Aspen Daily News. Will his opinion change as life goes on? Maybe. If so, his column will change. Steve Skinner is spinning a story in a certain number of words or less. Outside of that, he is the same average, everyday person as you are.
Reality, is that both have something to say to the consumer of local news and both provide an outlet for the folks to join in the dialog. When they say what they have to say, most often their words are aimed at public figures and entities in positions of trust. In the case of 'SandBox Nanny' she's simply rounding up content and putting it into the kind of perspective that keeps the door open for individual thought.
From the very well done work of Skinner today, up on the Aspen Daily, it appears that those consumers are listening. Are they listening to both entities?
Probably so.
What do you think?
Would it 'less painful' for those tourism, government and law enforcement entities to hear same, similar or highly likely far more brutal honesty from the folks writing in to their own publications? Probably not. At least entities like SandBox, the Aspen Daily and so many other independent media probably hope not. After all, their very existence and success is based on Independence and voices raised in the power of free speech.
But if folks could go directly to the source of their angst, at least our local media would be dealing with reality instead of continuing to try to pass the buck of responsibility for all their ills off on to individuals like 'SandBox Nanny' and opinion columnists like Steve Skinner.
Support your only locally owned and operated print news. That steady focus known as the Aspen Daily News.
Steve Skinner:
"...This reminds me of how wonderful a tourist economy can be. People come in from all over. They are in a great mood, on vacation and ready to have as much fun as possible. They fill the hotels and restaurants, rent gear, hire taxis, fill the liquor stores and boutiques and then — perhaps best of all — they leave.
Over the past few decades, Aspen got off track by inviting people to buy property here, not just showing them a world class time. Instead of sending them home with memories, we sent them home with timeshares, deeds for land and a piece of the dream. “OWN ASPEN,” one real estate ad crowed.
Despite compromising over the years, Aspen still has some great tourist juice and other communities in the valley could learn a thing or two about what attracts people to come and spend money.
Tourists really like to have something to do. Maybe a concert, a festival, a fair, a bike race, a car show, a drinking competition, weed expo, whatever. Just being in proximity to these kinds of activities has created our “bedroom communities” and now many of them (us) are looking for ways to create jobs and stimulate the bedrooms. None of this will be necessary if SkiCo keeps bringing acts into town like the Flying Tomato.
A family of four from out of state was visiting for the X Games. They were staying in Rifle and spent time at Ski Sunlight, the Glenwood Hot Springs pool, Fatbelly Burgers in Carbondale and, of course, Buttermilk Mountain. They left the area on Monday with plenty of swag, a family vacation in the bag and a strong desire to return for more frolic, maybe in the summer...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
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