D-G News Section Shines on UA Game Weekends (Outtakes Opinion)

Stories on the front page and Northwest Arkansas section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette were particularly good on Sunday, Oct. 20. Daily newspapers nationwide typically push their best work toward advertising-packed Sunday editions when more readers are likely to be leisurely perusing the paper. In Arkansas, that tendency is heightened further on weekends when the University of Arkansas football team plays at home — a truly statewide event that spurs millions of dollars in commerce including the buying of more newspapers. News sections then get to piggyback on the interest in Razorbacks coverage in hopes of expanding their own readership.

Staffers of the D-G’s news and business sections did a particularly good job of strutting their stuff when the University of Kentucky Wildcats came to town.

The effort was led by a two-part series that began Oct. 20 with a cover-story package by David Smith on Arkansas’ sluggish economic and educational progress under Gov. Mike Huckabee, et al. The package included several well-written stories that were made even more powerful because they were well-illustrated with interesting charts and graphics.

That Sunday’s paper also contained strong coverage of the state’s hot political races and a good localized version of America’s losing battle with obesity.

For an encore, Dan Zehr completed the economic series on Monday, Oct. 21, with a well-done cover story accompanying features and illustrations.

It is far more enjoyable to read enterprising work that informs and entertains than it is to skim the numbing daily regurgitation of public meetings. Both have their place in newspapers, but it’s clear the D-G understands which belongs on Page 1.