Aaron Snyder: Unincorporated inspiration spurs Insight
Oct. 29—One aspect of journalistic writing that fascinates some who crack into this business — such as our illustrious sports editor — is the dateline.
A dateline is the first word you read — typically in all caps and bold — as you enter the story.
It's important, especially for a community-oriented newspaper such as The Daily Independent. It indicates exactly where the story originated or where the event took place.
We take datelines seriously because we know the people of fill-in-the-blank town care deeply about where they live.
For instance, if a reader sitting on a Main Street porch down the road from Fairview High School opens the paper and sees a WESTWOOD dateline, it might just warm their soul.
We're particular about them. We don't just lazily write BOYD COUNTY if it happened in Boyd County outside of Catlettsburg or Ashland. And, not everything that happens in Rowan County occurred in Morehead — maybe it actually took place in Haldeman, for instance, or even Clearfield.
Now, here's something notable: We don't just stick a dateline onto a story for the sake of having one. It's usually only applicable if we were physically present.
Today, as you pore through this special Oct. 29 edition, you're going to come across a wide variety of datelines in our four-piece Insight section. Some of them might seem obscure. Others might strike a familiar chord. And a few will simply hit home.
Every year, we attempt to come up with a creative theme for our Progress publication in the spring and our Insight section in the fall.
During a staff meeting this summer, we bounced ideas off each other and settled on the following: Kentucky Unincorporated.
An unincorporated community is a town that does not have a formally organized government and are essentially under the jurisdiction of the county in which they're located.
Reporter Henry Culvyhouse pitched the idea "because everyone focuses on incorporated towns, and unincorporated areas represent that pioneer mentality, where you've got to take care of yourself."
Sources of that pride can be found in numerous spots throughout that town — from behind the counter at a general store to beyond an elementary classroom door, for example.
From Oldtown (one word) to South Portsmouth (nope, not Ohio) in Greenup County, from Hitchins to Willard in Carter, from Meads to Rush in Boyd, and a few more in Elliott, Lawrence, Rowan, Lewis and Martin Counties — and even a 10-letter town in Lee County (thanks to that aforementioned sports editor) — we bring you "Kentucky Unincorporated."
As always, thanks for reading.
Reach AARON SNYDER at asnyder@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2664.
