The EYEs Have It

My experiences as a contributing writer at the Middletown EYE have been very rewarding and as we reach the 3 year mark I have some reflections to share.

EYE writers are EYE writers because, well, we write for the EYE. What I mean by that is that we are simply people who have taken the initiative to actually write, and submit articles to the email address listed on the site, and have asked Ed to give us “posting power”. The ability to contribute is not a privilege bestowed on select people, it is a right available to anyone who chooses to exercise it. In the next post down Ed talks about welcoming new involvement. It really is just a matter of putting in a little time and effort and stepping up to be involved. There are no requirements in terms of background, education, or work history. There's no secret to finding events or stories to cover, it's all about opening your "EYEs", literally, and having a sense of what's going on around town, which can be developed if its not innate. It's all about willingness to learn, to try, and to engage yourself.

I frequently meet people who say things like, “Oh you write for the EYE, so you believe X, Y, or Z about the police chief”, or whatever issue, that I actually have no knowledge or opinion of personally. We try to be a unifying force in the sense of community building, but we are not a solidified unit with specific positions, as evidenced by the two posts published earlier today written with different perspective about the same issue.

We have no more political influence than any other citizen, but a common thread is that we are willing to publicly make our voice heard. Collectively, the EYE has had an impact on the Middletown political landscape, and that is a great accomplishment that some EYE writers are rightfully very proud of. The simple fact of our presence and accessibility to the public has raised awareness and brought some added accountability and transparency into some political forums. We hope for more.

When I go to an event, I sometimes make a conscious decision about whether I am attending as an EYE writer or not. The question is, do I want to simply enjoy myself and take in what's going on, or do I want to report about this event later, and will therefore take mental or written notes, commit the experience to memory or paper, and spend a considerable chunk of time later writing about it, uploading photos, editing videos and putting it all together. It's a tough position to be in, because I want to do both. It can be rewarding to put on the “EYE hat”, but it can also sometimes be or feel thankless and tiring. What is nice about it being volunteer work is that I have the choice and can decide for myself.

I like being a part of a community-oriented, all volunteer run, advertisement free, unstructured group and information forum with no official rules and no clearly defined scope. I have met and gotten to know many interesting, talented, and civically minded people, initially brought together thanks to our little virtual space.

I am very thankful that the EYE is what it is today and look forward to continuing to write and seeing what the future holds.