Seeing as how I gave the Spartanburg Herald-Journal such a hard time earlier this week for their top-down coverage of downtown’s new “vibrancy,” I thought I’d give them props for something they actually did right. No … better than right … for something they totally schooled the Spark on. Their coverage of the New Year’s Eve events in downtown is fantastic. Ours is practically non-existent. Well done, SH-J.
Typically, these sorts of stories are just roundups — glorified lists — that serve a purely functional purpose of telling people what places will be open, what sort of entertainment is scheduled and what the cover charges will be. Writer Trevor Anderson goes a step beyond that formula, noting the hopes that have been pinned on several downtown establishments — many mere weeks old — for the evening, both in terms of making money and as an indicator of the direction of the city. He’s turned a glorified list into a story that’s timely, relevant and of a broader interest than just where to go and get plastered.
And he builds this story around the premise that, on the whole, 2009 was a tough year for many downtown businesses. That there are new downtown businesses — Croc’s, The Tap Room, Main Street Pub, Blues Boulevard Jazz and a relaunched Wild Wing Cafe — open for anything is actually a remarkable achievement. It would be easy for the story to take a pessimistic tone about the rough year these bars and eateries have ahead of them, but instead Anderson has shown that there’s actually a healthy dose of hope and a generally positive view about the city’s direction.
For instance, here’s a quote from Freddy Foster, owner of Sonny’s Brickoven Pizza and a partner in the Croc’s venture, which echoes a lot of those sentiments.
“It’s been a rough year, economically speaking, but we’re fortunate that we’re in a downtown that is thriving right now. We’re happy to be a part of it.”
And here’s another from Keith Williams, owner of the Tap Room.
“We’re ready to put 2009 in the past, move forward and grow and expand with the city,” Williams said. “We’re hopeful the city will back the things we’re trying to do. We want to see this end of downtown become a destination.”
Anderson didn’t have to take this slant on the story. He didn’t have to address the dismal economic mood that has dominated downtown for much of 2009. The story didn’t require quotes about the hopes of the business owners, and he didn’t have to contextualize it as a common cause between competitors, each hoping that the city thrives, rather than just their one business venture. He didn’t have to make it anything other than a list, but he did. And as a result of his efforts, this story shines.
Sure, it’s a narrow story in terms of only covering one small segment of downtown. Sure, it doesn’t spend much time on some of the grim realities of the coming year. Sure, there’s nothing unusual about business owners putting a positive spin on things. But for what this story actually needed to accomplish, it truly goes above and beyond.
What gets me is that this is exactly the sort of story that the Spark is supposed to be publishing. It’s a deeply local story, and it’s covering both the arts and economics of downtown, and it’s supportive without ignoring any of the grim realities these businesses face. And while I could justify why we didn’t get this story, I’d rather just give a well-deserved thumbs-up to those who did. Props to Anderson for writing it, and the SH-J for covering it.
Steve Shanafelt
