Good stories often begin with a question.
How old is the city of Ashland? Has Ashland County ever experienced an earthquake? And can you shoot carp with a speargun?
These are all examples of questions you, the reader, submitted to us through Open Source.
I know, the word “source” gets used a lot around here. There’s Richland Source, there’s Ashland Source and now Open Source. It has me wondering — how else can we use this word? Have we, as a news source (there it is again) used the word too much? Have we beat the poor word into obscurity? What is Open Source?
I’m likely not the only one wondering. So I thought I’d take some time to offer a bare bones sort of explanation of Open Source.
Essentially, the light-purple box found on the right of your screen on the homepage is a unique way to connect with you. For your convenience, I’ve added this box below:
This box is your portal to reporters and editors here at the Source. Used correctly, the tool is a way for you to ask questions about things happening, or about to happen, in your community.
We see and read all your questions. Sometimes we answer them via email. Other times the questions become stories themselves (like the ones above.)
These stories are then archived on our website for your access any time.
I’m new enough on the team that I haven’t had the opportunity to answer one of your questions through Open Source. But I’m eager to do so. It’s an effective way to connect with readers and, frankly, it sounds fun. I can’t wait to see what questions you ask me about Ashland.
The only qualifications to get started with the tool is to have a question and an email address. You can even ask anonymously, just check the “Please don’t publish my name” box. (By the way, the email address is just for me. I won’t share it with the interwebs, unless for whatever reason you request that.)
Go ahead, Ashland. Ask away. What’s on your mind?
