Hello, I’m Adam.
That might seem like an obvious thing to start off with, but as a reporter I rarely get to reveal myself in an article. I don’t write too many columns so most of my identity is hidden. So it’s refreshing to just start off with an introduction. Hello.
Good reporters don’t put themselves into their writing. We report the facts. We show both sides. We try not to favor one side or another too heavily. We try to see things from all points of view. Sometimes we fail. But it’s a goal we strive for. And often in that pursuit of objectivity and balance, you almost train your mind to not even have an opinion. We don’t take a side in your writing because you don’t take a side in real life. You are an observer. An analyst. Sometimes a referee or mediator.
Readers often assume what your opinions are by reading your article. You receive e-mails accusing you of bias. You know when you’re really doing a great job? When you receive e-mails from both sides accusing you of bias. It’s funny. You hear: “You’re too tough on the mayor” and “You’re in the mayor’s back pocket” about the same article. Funny how that works.
But most reporters don’t spend enough time responding to readers. Sometimes it’s because there isn’t the correct forum.
That’s one reason we created this blog. A chance to connect and engage with our readers.
Research has shown that readers of the Current in Carmel can’t get enough of our government coverage. It’s what people look for.
But the truth is that there are only so many pages in our print edition and it wouldn’t make sense if every page was dedicated to government stories. There would be no room for arts, entertainment, restaurants and other things that make Carmel wonderful.
Plus, the print edition comes out weekly. And sometimes there’s an opinion or a bit of information that might need to come out more immediately.
When you visit this blog, you’ll be able satisfy your hunger for what’s going on in city government.
There will be immediate updates.
Longer versions of articles.
My analysis — without opinions — on the news.
Credible and sourced responses to rumors going around town.
Conversation starters and a place to share your opinions.
A peek into how we gather the news and find our information.
Source documents and research related to articles.
Short items of interest that don’t make it into the print edition.
Occasional pieces that touch on business, parks, real estate and the arts. But politics and government is the main focus.
The blog will have a different tone. It will be more conversational and utilize more first-person. I’ll reveal a little about my ways of thinking and there could be times where I share my opinion on a subject, but that will most likely be issues that aren’t controversial. If I say I think a group did a really great job presenting their opinion at a City Council meeting, it doesn’t mean I support their point of view. I don’t expect anyone to be up in arms if I say, “It’s important to have safe roads.” It’s fine to say that.
There might be times where a blog post only quotes one source. This isn’t a way to only showcase one opinion. But due to the immediate nature and looser style of a blog, some of these posts are quick glimpses into something that’s going on. These posts aren’t meant to be in-depth investigations. That’s better served for a proper article in the print edition.
If you ever feel I’m covering too much of one issue or one side, please call me out on it. I’m here to serve the readers. I have no agenda. I just want to share what I know.
I’ll tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in Indianapolis where I went to North Central High School, although my family lived just on the Marion County side of the 96th Street border, so I spent more time in Carmel growing up than I did in downtown Indy. I graduated in 2002 and studied journalism and political science at IU where I was editor in chief of the Indiana Daily Student. Immediately after college, I received a job as a crime reporter for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla. I learned a lot working at a big newspaper but decided to try something else for a little while instead of waiting around for layoffs due to the uncertain nature of the newspaper industry. I worked at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and helped my family start their own business in Carmel. I began writing for the Current in February. I’ve lived in Carmel for almost four years now. I have an apartment at Main Street on the Monon, a short walk from the Carmel Arts & Design District. You might run into me walking my Shiba Inu named Alfie. I love living in Carmel and so that’s why I care about how our government is run. I don’t take sides and I’m actually close friends with passionate people on both sides of the political divide we’ve seen recently.
I want to thank my bosses, Steve Greenberg, Brian Kelly and Sophie Pappas. They have been very supportive of me and I appreciate their commitment to serve the readers first. It’s reassuring to find journalists who want to entertain and inform and not convince, sway, manipulate or advocate.
Posts will be updated twice a week at minimum (Mondays and Fridays) with extra posts throughout the week as needed.
E-mail me at [email protected].
