Newspapers, several people have been credited with first saying over the last 60-plus years, are the first rough draft of history.
Why a rough draft? Daily and weekly newspapers publish what can be immediately reported. Immediacy is a critical element of what constitutes "news." What cannot be learned today will be reported the next day, or the next day or whenever the information is discovered. Remember, a 1972 break-in at a Washington hotel was described at one point only as a "third-rate burglary attempt." Over time, it became clear it was so much more.
What’s the point?
Today marks the publication of Vision 2020, a special report looking at Northwest Arkansas’ future.
When it comes to current issues and events, newspapers -- even if we do say so ourselves -- have historically provided rapid delivery of news and information vital to being an informed and engaged member of the greater community and world.
More in-depth analysis of events and information can be found in history books, typically written years later after the context and outcomes can be more fully considered. Go down to the Dickson Street Bookshop in Fayetteville, where it's impossible not to be mesmerized by the labyrinth of volume-loaded shelves, and you'll see plenty of evidence that knowing where we've been has a lot to do with where we're also headed.
But newspapers for, well, almost as long as there have been newspapers in this country have periodically used their reporting resources to examine possibilities for the future -- rather than events of the past -- by reviewing the advances and, sometimes, retreats that have an impact on the communities those newspapers serve. Often referred to as "progress" editions, they attempt to look at what lay ahead within the context of current and past developments.
In today's Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, readers will find a trove of stories, photos, charts and other information in four special sections titled "Vision 2020." See what we did there?
Hindsight, they say, is 20/20, and it is indeed useful to keep in mind that past is prologue. But the future is exciting, especially here in beautiful Northwest Arkansas. Newspapers in economically stagnant areas don't often have opportunities, or much drive, to evaluate "progress." In our corner of the state, it's hard to ignore. Just glance out the window as you drive around. Or perhaps slow down the bicycle long enough to see what's happening around us.
In these four sections, leaders of Northwest Arkansas try out their short-term crystal balls and put their thoughts into the context of the coming decades. What can residents, visitors and newcomers to Northwest Arkansas expect?
As most future-guessing goes, the suggestions are that great days lay ahead, and we believe that to be true. A region with robust economic growth has the luxury of guiding its direction with smart policies and projects. People who have lived in regions with more economic challenges will testify that choices are few and questions usually are concerned with how bad things can possibly get.
So there's so much to be thankful for in Northwest Arkansas, and we are. Looking through four lenses -- health and wellness, business and economy, labor and employment and life and learning -- reporters have picked the brains of movers and shakers to envision what is to come.
"It takes forethought and management because you don't want to spoil what makes this an attractive place to live," said Mike Harvey, chief operating officer and interim president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. And, boy, isn't that an understatement.
With Northwest Arkansas population growth of the past few decades, it probably wouldn't be hard to find some folks to argue that it's already lost some of its charm. Thankfully, it hasn't lost all of it. Hardly. Some of the changes are making the region immensely more attractive as a place to live, work and play. The growth -- driven by the likes of Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt and all sorts of major and smaller businesses -- continues, so the choice isn't really between growth and no growth. It's about how to grow. The people already living and working here have a pretty good idea of what they like, and it's important they invest themselves in discussions about the future. Today's "Progress" edition is part of that discussion.
At some point -- probably several -- in the future, the people of Northwest Arkansas and those covering it will look back and determine whether the decisions made today and in the next few years were the right ones. The challenge is to use our minds to imagine what our future and the future of those who come after us will look like, and to be proactive in making plans for the best achievable Northwest Arkansas.
Today's special sections give us a glimpse into how things may look in a few years. But nothing's guaranteed. So, read up. Embrace the challenge and the change. Be aware of what's happening. And if you don't like the direction Northwest Arkansas is headed, don't wait for an engraved invitation to get involved. It's not the people of Northwest Arkansas who will decide the region's future. It's the people of Northwest Arkansas who get involved who will decide its future.
Commentary on 03/26/2017