‘Forum’ has quite a team

A few years ago former Forum editor Staci Parks asked me to select a couple of my 2011 columns to be submitted by Forum for consideration in by the Louisiana Press Association for annual awards recognition. I believe I’m a fair writer – but not so much an award winner. So I made a cursory review of the year’s writing and sent along two columns to Staci.

Apparently, Staci wasn’t overwhelmed with my choices and instead submitted a couple of her picks to the LPA. I did not know this until May 2012 while enjoying our annual spring trip to the Great Smoky Mountains – and received an email from Staci congratulating me on my LPA first place award for the two pieces she submitted.

Then there was the time I thought I’d made a sizable error in noting a candidate’s failure to submit a required report and Forum vice president Hugh Johnson gave me a patient lesson in reality testing ...

Those are just two of a dozen or so reasons why the last decade of writing for Forum has been such a pleasure – and why it is no wonder that Forum is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month.

During that 25 years, Forum’s endurance is easily credited to its talented and committed leadership – and its interested and responsive readership.

That leadership, headed up by Publisher Jay Covington and Johnson, has allowed political columnists like Lou Gehrig Burnett and me to share broad and sometimes seriously frank views of local, state and federal politics.

Many readers will recall that Burnett’s coverage and views of Shreveport politics during the past 15 years sometimes have included unflattering realities about Shreveport government – and what was/is needed to rectify the obstacles and obstructors to good government. Forum was and remains the publication in which to find the unvarnished truth – and Covington and Johnson stood behind Burnett – regardless of the political unpopularity of Burnett’s revelations.

I’ve enjoyed that same support with many past columns when pointing out the double standard practiced by a local lawmaker, or the federal district court’s inexplicable tardiness in ruling on a local issue, or biting criticism for less than effective elected officials.

And I’ve heard back from readers – with some frequency – as they share thoughts and opinions that are so valuable to me in planning future pieces.

So many folks have let me know that as much as critical pieces about local government and politics, they are also interested in those pieces that discuss how those governments are funded, what progress is being made to improve transportation, water and sewer utilities, education and quality-of-life offerings.

Forum’s staff of writers, photographers and sales team is a gifted and dedicated group, and Forum has added voices over the years that include more politics, business, local history, art, entertainment and health issues – and all of which contribute even more to the continuing popularity of Forum.

For a quarter of a century, Forum has truly lived up to its name a “public square ... or place ... for the discussion of public matters or current questions ... an opportunity for open discussion.” (Webster’s) Here’s to another 25 years of Forum’s success!

Marty Carlson, a freelance writer, has been covering local news for the past 13 years. She can be reached via email at [email protected].