By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

A look back at 2006

As we close out 2006, we took the time to review what items made the news in the pages of Cityview. As an alternative newsweekly, we don’t often have the opportunity to break news, but rather provide insight that you won’t find in the daily or see on the evening news. Having said that, we were able to bring a number of items to you first over the past 12 months. And you can expect more of the same in 2007.

I am proud of the work we did in 2006. The subjects of our cover stories ranged from eminent domain to emergency contraception to pregnant inmates. And for those who prefer the softer subjects from time to time, we lightened things up with our annual Fair Fashion Review, Summer Bar Guide and, of course, our annual Best of Des Moines issue.

From my perspective, a few cover stories really stood out. Our first effort at “Records and Rankings” provided a wealth of information in list form that made for a great read. And our “Balanced or Biased” report on the political affiliations of local journalists helped to bring light to the agendas some in our industry may have.

We added some new features to the paper this year, including our television column, “On the Tube,” and our video game review, “Sore Thumbs.” We brought back the quirky humor of Edward Pettinger in the “Mild Abandon” cartoon. We welcomed three new columnists — Kent Carslon, Herb Strentz and Gil Cranberg. And we dug deeper with our “Civic Skinny” column, bringing you even more political coverage and inside scoop.

We know that you have a lot options for news and entertainment right here in Central Iowa. The daily alone has flooded the market with a dozen or more niche publications in the past year. Independent papers also seem to be popping up left and right as of late. The competition is good, as we know it makes us better. Meanwhile, I am always open to your ideas and suggestions as to how we can continue to improve and make 2007 our best year yet.

Thanks for reading.

Comment on this story | Return to top