Hungry Reporters in Need of Restaurants - The Lincoln County News

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A sandwich board advertises New Year’s Day specials at Deb’s Bristol Diner. (LCN file photo)

I moved to Lincoln County five months ago, and for five months I’ve lived within walking distance of a local food establishment. Being a reporter, and a green one at that, I thought that this business would eventually turn into an easy story, and an easy breakfast, for a slow news week.

Money in the bank, I thought.

On Tuesday morning I woke up at 5:30 a.m., walked across the street, ordered my breakfast, and asked if they would like to be featured in the paper. The answer, in short, was, “No thank you, and that will be $10.”

In the past five months I may have forgotten that, as an owner, letting someone write a feature on your business demands some vulnerability. “Branding” has become the buzzword in the age of social media, and accepting an interview can be like giving someone 500 words of ammunition with which to destroy a carefully assembled business identity.

However, I would like to emphasize that this is a community newspaper, and our reporters are, sometimes quite literally, your neighbors. Our goal with a feature is to write an interesting story, not to redefine a brand or publish a one-star Yelp review. If you’ll endure the cliché, we’re here to help.

A plate of avocado bacon eggs Benedict at Deb’s Bristol Diner. (LCN file photo)

In the past, the editorial staff has aimed to produce one arts-related piece or one “eats”-related piece every week. However, we recently amended that informal policy and we will be attempting to publish a staff-written arts piece and an “eats” piece every week.

This means that we need to find more food-related stories in Lincoln County more often.

This is not a plea for free food, though it is most certainly welcome. Rather, this is a request for proposals; if you own a food business, and you have a story, a product, an event, an interesting employee, or a long-time customer that you think would be worth writing about, reach out to us.

The back section, or Section A, is a bit of a smorgasbord. It’s what I, and presumably others, read throughout the week when I’m looking for something to do on the weekends. If you’re anything like me, it tends to end up on your kitchen table or in your bathroom. It’s a great place to build a brand.

We want to write about owners, their businesses, and, most importantly, their food. So give us a call, shoot us an email, and please feed these hungry reporters before they eat each other.

To reach The Lincoln County News, call 563-3171 or email us at info@lcnme.com.