Here's one thing I haven't mentioned yet: A television producer has been making a documentary about The Bristol Press and the future of newspapers for the past month or so.
John O'Neill, a Glastonbury resident, even convinced me to drag myself into the office on Christmas Eve -- a rare day off for me! -- to talk about the Press on camera for awhile. I'm not a TV sort of guy, but I went because, well, he sounded nice. And at that point I was willing to do anything that might somehow help save the paper, though it was hard to see just how that would help.
Anyway, O'Neill's documentary for CPTV is no longer going to have the closure of the newspaper as its centerpiece -- whoo-hoo! -- but it's still focused in some way on this old but still vibrant daily and its place in our changing world.
What he needs now is to find more everyday readers willing to talk about what the newspaper means to them, warts and all.
This is your chance to have a say, to tell O'Neill's and his crew about why you read the paper, how things have changed with the paper over the years, and anything that's related to your experience as a reader.
He's setting up at Crystal Luncheonette at 43 Main St. -- just down the block from the Press -- between 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27 to tape interviews with readers who are willing to appear on camera.
After that, he told me he's going to talk to our soon-to-be new owner, Michael Schroeder.
He's already interviewed to a bunch of people - my editor, other reporters, city officials, business owners, newspaper experts and plenty of others I don't even know about.
I hope some of you who care about our newspaper will be among those who show up to have a short say on camera about why you give a damn. And I don't mind if those who hate the paper show up, too, as long as you read it (and this blog is part of the paper, too, so you do read it).
You probably won't be on camera for long since, with luck, there will be others waiting for their chance to speak out, but if you can make it, do!
I found O'Neill a thoughtful and interested observer. I really don't have much doubt the documentary he's making will be interesting, particularly if I'm left on the cutting room floor. This is your chance to be a little part of a little slice of history. Take it.
While you're there, get something to eat and a cup of coffee. Support the diner, too.
If you have any questions, O'Neill's cell phone number is (860) 930-6456.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
2 comments:
Does this filmmaker have a date scheduled for the interview with Mr. Schroeder? I would be interested to know when that is.
I hope I'm wrong, but the closing of the Bristol Press may be the theme of this film after all.
Too much silence is making me doubtful.
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I'd tell him that the Press lost me as a customer after the New Haven Register took over. Most of the stories were about New Haven or were retreads from their New Haven edition.
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