If I could bend your ear a minute ... here's what I would tell you.

Excuse me for interrupting.

I know this is an important anniversary and you're occupied congratulating yourselves for having made it this far. But won't you make room for a word from your sponsor?

Me. Your reader.

Me. Your listener.

The way I look at it, without me you'd all be covering monthly meetings of the Happy Valley Village Board. Or writing features about 100-year-old ladies who link their longevity to their fondness for root beer. The way I look at it, an editorial writer without an editorial reader is as useless as a three-legged pointer, and not as amusing.

So glad you asked what I think about the work you do. Glad you want to know what you can do better. Glad you sought my help in keeping you in business for the next 50 years.

"The first thing I look for are the editorials to see if I agree with the bums or disagree with the bums. Then I look for the columns. If there isn't something on the editorial page that pisses me off, then you're not staying current."

- Paul Ashe, Madison, Wis.

"First, it would be best to take a moment to explain exactly what issue is on the collective mind of [the writer]. Most people in the viewing public have little understanding of the daily issues that affect their lives the most."

- Eathan Guler, Madison, Wis.

"When I look in an editorial section, I like to see subjects that are thought-provoking, that get my attention, and that make me really digest a particular issue. It doesn't always have to be politics. It can even be something a little bit out of the ordinary. I want something that will get my juices flowing, that will help me think about what it's like to be in the other person's shoes."

- Jim Festge, Cross Plains, Wis.

"If an editorial page met my wildest dreams, it would consistently frame and ask the 'big' questions confronting our region and the world; it would direct the reader's attention at least as much to successes and failures in the search for solutions as it does to the dire, intractable nature of problems and challenges; it would consistently keep before the reader examples of the many seeds of hope, selfless commitment and courage so often ignored or overlooked; it would hold individuals, businesses, and governments (and the newspaper's own columnists and writers) accountable for persistently superficial, overly simplistic, myopic treatment of significant issues; it would call attention to positions, statements and actions that really constitute denial or delay or avoidance of significant issues; and, after it raises significant issues, it would continue to monitor and track them until there is closure."

- Bob Sohn, San Antonio, Tex.

"Opinion pages present a forum for a newspaper to reflect the boldness and strength with which individuals deal with their communities. If the commentaries do not dare us to take action or, at the very least, bring us to debatable discussion, have they failed to lead? Can they, or should they, with opinions expressed, hope to galvanize a population around the issues? I think the answer is yes."

- Lynda Mutch, St. Paul, Minn.

"[Give us] public interest footnotes - whom to call, how to help. Perhaps you could experiment with some graphic design formats."

- Peggy Fuller, Portland, Maine 

"The choice of which syndicated columnists to use is probably key to fairness and openness on the part of the editorial staff. Some papers only select those writers who reinforce the current editorial policy of the newspaper. This sometimes gives a distorted view of local, national, or world events.... The readers' opinions that are selected and printed reinforce the exercise of freedom. It gives readers the confidence that private beliefs and opinions really count and that one can contribute by writing. Since we no longer have open public forums (such as a town meeting) such participation is essential."

- Hugh Shuford, Vancouver, Wash.

"Since the editorials usually refer to items currently in the news, it would be helpful to readers if somewhere on the editorial page there was a reference to news stories, whether in the same edition or a prior one.

"Why not include an opinion chart - perhaps a variation of Newsweek's Conventional Wisdom chart, geared to local issues? In color, it would be an attention-getter.

"Overall, more humor should be interspersed with the straight commentary on the editorial pages. Once in a while - perhaps weekly - a pro/con pair of comments would be useful."

- Mary Q. Kelly, San Antonio, Tex.

"What disturbs me is when [editorials] take a position on a local issue, and it is apparent there was no attempt to investigate both sides of the concern. Any issue has individuals with strong feelings on each side. The paper has a responsibility to contact these people and listen to their reasoning and facts, before taking positions."

- Bill Welke, St. Paul, Minn.

"I look for intelligence, good writing, informed opinions. I look for positions that are cohesive and well thought out. I look for an outlook that reflects respect for a wide diversity of opinions, but for editorials that are not afraid to stand for what the paper itself believes."

- Lin Seagen, Stoughton, Wis.

"I understand that you can't please all the people all the time. And that should not be your goal. I believe that your goal should be to do the right thing. And figuring this out isn't always easy. But I do believe it is possible. I believe that the most important messages the paper can send are those of sensitivity, understanding, and, at the very least, tolerance."

- Dan Castor, San Antonio, Tex.

These comments were compiled by NCEW member Barbara Mantz Drake, editorial page editor of the The Journal Star in Peoria, Ill. and deputy editor of The Masthead. A special thanks goes to the following editors for inviting readers to speak out for this anniversary issue: Mike Zuzel, The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash.; Phil Haslanger, The Capital Times, Madison, Wis.; Neil Heinen, WISC-TV, Madison, Wis.; George Neavoll, Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine; Lynnell Burkett, San Antonio Express-News; Ron Clark, St. Paul Pioneer Press.