Laconia Daily Sun to host Publisher's Crawl Thursday at Twin Barns

MEREDITH — Lakes Region residents have a chance to get to know the people who provide their news. Instead of reading about it in the local newspaper, they can do it while enjoying a pint.

The Publisher’s Crawl on Thursday, Oct. 15, is hosted by The Laconia Daily Sun and the Granite State News Collaborative, in an effort to bring journalists and community members together in the relaxing setting of Twin Barns Brewing Co.

Melanie Plenda, executive director for Granite State News Collaborative, said the goal of the Publisher’s Crawl series is to spark conversation with reporters, editors, and readers. She said there will be a set discussion with some specific questions, but the beauty of the event is the conversations can take off and go anywhere.

“That has been really valuable,” Plenda said. “We want insight on how to make local news better.”

Plenda said a focus is on comfort, where people can share “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” about the news they are receiving, or wish to receive.

“Hopefully, in a nice way,” Plenda said. “We want them to be candid in how we can better serve information needs.”

The Publisher’s Crawl is a statewide series put on by the Granite State News Collaborative, and Plenda said the idea has been to get reporters and editors out of their newsrooms, and perhaps even out of their comfort zones. Local pubs and bars have been chosen as the venues so far, including Rochester’s Revolution Tap Room the last time out.

“We try to get to different spots in different regions,” Plenda said.

The series started in April, in Manchester and Nashua. They have been so far successful, and Plenda said the first event was at capacity, attracting about 45 people. While it has tended to attract a crowd who already has their eyes on local news, she hopes those who might not pick up a newspaper every day will come.

“We want to hear from them, too,” Plenda said.

This is a chance for people to voice what makes local news useful, or frustrating, and ask questions they have always wanted to ask reporters or editors. It won’t be a night full of speeches or panel discussions, but rather a casual conversation.

Plenda said the hope is for local news outlets to find out what works and what can be done better, and also get a gauge of how people are getting their news in the first place.

“From there, we can make local news better,” Plenda said. “At the end of the day, it's about having conversations with each other, and making sure newsrooms are connecting the communities they serve.”

She also said it's helpful for readers to put faces to the bylines of the articles they read.

Plenda said these events are where people can discuss issues without a shouting match occurring. This is all while being in a bit of an unorthodox thinktank, in a comfortable setting with food and drinks.

Those attending previous events have voiced they want meeting coverage. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but they want to know what’s going on, Plenda said. She also said they made clear they want to know what is going on in the coverage areas newspapers serve, including events and things to do.

“It’s interesting to see these common threads, no matter where they are in the state,” Plenda said.

Plenda said the demographics of who have been participating have been surprisingly vast. While it tends to be an older crowd, she said there have been some college students who participated, and even a high school student showed up at the last event in Rochester.

“We want to keep reaching out to lots of different populations,” Plenda said.

She said the added benefit of the series is to ensure a connection between the community and their local newsrooms.

The free event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15. Bring an appetite, because food will be served for those who attend. There will be a cash bar and at least one prize.

“We want people to have fun and be relaxed,” Plenda said.

Participants must register for the event, at collaborativenh.org/pubcrawl.