(Note: Some people found the wording of the poll weird, so I made a new poll and imported the answers from the first one. Sorry. - DN)
I've never made any secret of the fact that I like The Source. As long as readers remember who publishes the website, I think it can be a great resource for news and information about Metro planning and policy. Plus, how many cities have a writer the caliber of Steve Hymon, to say nothing of Fred Camino or Carter Rubin, writing daily about transit? I can think of only one.
But The Source creates a challenge for me that the other Streetsblogs don't have because there is a rival publication that has access that I can only dream of writing about the same issues. At first, after The Source's arrival Streetsblog actually wrote less about transit issues. As time went on, we began writing more and more about Metro, usually looking for something to add to a The Source story,such as a different angle on the same story or talking to a voice you won't usually hear on a government website. That has led to more quotes in stories from people considered in opposition to Metro policies, and to the appearance in some sections that Streetsblog is "anti-Metro." I'm not and we're not.
But there are still times that we pass on stories altogether because The Source got to it first. For example, I was planning on covering this video put out by the Expo Authority on light rail noise, and was considering a story on the options for the L.A. Streetcar, but in both cases Hymon beat me to the story.
But it occurs to me that I've never asked you, the people that read and support Streetsblog in so many ways, how you want me to react if The Source beats me to a story that I want to write. Are you less likely to read the story on Streetsblog? Do you feel that it would just divide the comments and stifle debate? Do you want me to just write/publish it anyway because you don't like The Source or value our opinions and take? The poll is a simple yes/no. If you have anything to add more than that, please leave a note in the comments section. We're really interested in hearing what you have to say.
