I have been living in Eden Park for years now and as far as I can remember, we have only been receiving the Alberton Record newspaper that gives the happenings in Eden Park a page or so.
Recently I have noticed that we are receiving a different newspaper, the Kathorus Mail, which also only featured two or three news stories from Eden Park.
Eden Park looks small, but it is actually very big and there are daily happenings one can write a front page about – complaints, sports, events, growing talent, warnings and messages that people want to spread that can make Eden Park a better place.
We have to wait before a certain story gets published or even certain warnings. How can we be warned of a situation if we only receive the news late?
We are exposed to the happenings of a different place and only one or two stories in Eden Park, which I see as unfair.
Nobody may have stood up to say anything about this, but I am a guy who has a passion for writing, a passion for newspapers and as much as the RECORD can be found online, which covers a lot more stories concerning Eden Park, I just feel that a lot of people are not exposed to the latest technology and seem to be missing out.
I would love to see Eden Park have its own local newspaper covering stories from Eden Park for the people of Eden Park.
Cheslin Bester, Eden Park
*Letter shortened
Comment:
Thank you for your letter Cheslin. I will try to briefly explain. There are many factors to consider when you bring out a newspaper in a certain area. It is much more than simply gathering stories, filling the pages, printing and delivering a paper.
Copies of the RECORD distributed in Eden Park definitely do not reach everyone in Eden Park due to the limited number of copies available to distribute in the area. As for the stories covered, you have to remember that with every publication we have to try and accommodate every individual’s story, different clubs and organisations, schools etc. from both Alberton and Eden Park. Therefore some stories do stand over.
In the Kathorus Mail (inclusive of the Kathorus areas, Palmridge and Eden Park) we bring you a publication to call yours and to embrace as yours. This is delivered door to door twice a month in Eden Park and bulk drops are done in Palmridge.
You have to remember that the same types of crime affect people in our inclusive areas. The same applies to the decisions made by EMM, service delivery etc. In splitting these areas, chances are much better that news from the different areas will frequent more regularly.
Each of these publications have an online version and is available on Facebook. People have access to both of these platforms via their cellular phones. Residents are invited to like the Facebook pages of the RECORD and the MAIL and they are most welcome to share notifications, warnings etc. to the community via social media.
I sincerely hope that Eden Park residents will see the positives behind this decision and will embrace the Kathorus Mail as their own newspaper.
Carina van der Walt
Editor: Alberton Record
