Clark Walworth

Newspaper industry research shows that readers enjoy stories about people.

I guess the only surprising aspect of that conclusion is somebody spent a bunch of money to learn the obvious. But the truth is, a lot of news - in newspapers, on TV and on the Internet - isn't about people. It's about policies and issues.

Don't get me wrong; hard-news reporting is vital. Keeping tabs on politicians helps preserve the republic.

But even the most serious news junkie relishes a story with a human face. In fact, research shows readers strongly favor stories about ordinary people.

So, starting Monday, the Star-Tribune is launching a new weekly series. "One Wyoming Life" will salute one of our Wyoming neighbors each week - someone whose life recently came to a close.

The people we select for profiling probably won't be famous or rich or politically powerful. But they will have been important to the friends and relatives who loved them. So we'll interview those friends and relatives and tell their stories.

These weekly reminiscences won't replace traditional obituaries. Those will still be in the paper, the same as always.

But obits are straightforward, factual reporting. "One Wyoming Life" will be a feature story, with an emphasis on personal memories.

The first installment will appear Monday. It tells the story of a young life cut short by cancer. That's all I'm going to say about it, because I promised not to "scoop" my own reporter.

For the record, "One Wyoming Life" is not an original idea. Newspapers across the country have created similar features, with excellent response from readers.

Even if we can't claim credit for the idea, I'm excited about adding "One Wyoming Life" to our lineup. Watch for it tomorrow.

Recycled news

Ever wonder how the same story can show up in different newspapers - often on different days? A reader sent us an e-mail recently, asking about that:

"Yesterday, Jan. 28, there was a story in the Billings Gazette about a printer in Casper (Endeavor Books) which was very interesting. I could find nothing in the Casper Star-Tribune about the same story either yesterday or today.

"This isn't the first time I have read a story in the Gazette first before it appeared it the Tribune."

Here's my answer:

The story was written by Tom Mast, business editor of the Casper Star-Tribune. It appeared in our paper on Dec. 16. It made its way to Billings by way of the Associated Press.

AP is a cooperative news agency that helps newspapers share one another's stories. It has offices in such places as Baghdad and London, but also in Wyoming and Montana. It picked up our story and distributed a condensed version to newspapers throughout the region.

Anyone who commonly reads newspapers from different towns is sure to see stories reprinted from one paper to another. This practice is widespread, legal and beneficial to readers. It lets hometown papers present a far broader news report than we could afford to deliver on our own.

It's also how newspaper stories commonly wind up in TV newscasts and Internet news sites.

The simple fact is, information is expensive to gather. And, contrary to the adage about "yesterday's news," it doesn't lose its value overnight. It's one of the most recycled commodities around.

Have a question or a comment for Editor Clark Walworth? Send e-mail to clark.walworth@casperstartribune.net, call (307) 266-0545, or jot a note on your subscription renewal notice.