Whenever I go out into the community, people invariably turn the conversation to one of my favorite subjects – this newspaper.

My wife and I were at a function Thursday night, and I had the occasion to speak with two people at different times in the evening who offered their opinion of the newspaper.

The first was overwhelmingly complimentary. She praised the variety of articles on local issues, as well as some of the design changes we made last year, and expressed her enthusiasm for reading the paper every week.

The second person who brought up the newspaper was polite, but less complimentary. He provided recommendations in a variety of areas, from issues he felt were not receiving adequate coverage to the presentation of information on our Sports page.

And you know what? I really enjoyed both conversations.

It’s always nice to hear compliments, especially when you put as much work into something as we do every day. The people here at the Kingsville Record put in a lot of long, difficult hours to create a completely new product twice a week. We take a lot of pride in what we do, and positive feedback lets us know we’re headed in the right direction and provides encouragement to move forward.

However, I’ve always enjoyed the negative feedback almost as much as the positive.

Sometimes, like parts of the constructive criticism offered Thursday night, the opinion is justified. That’s OK, because it lets us know what areas we need to be building on. But there’s another, more important reason that I like feedback, whether it be positive or negative. Few things in a small town can generate as much opinion as the local paper, and I love talking to people who are passionate about what we do. Love us or despise us – either way is fine with me. I just like talking to people who care enough that they can’t help but tell me what they think about this newspaper. I’d much rather talk to someone who spends 30 minutes telling me all the things they think we do wrong than to talk to someone who says simply, “I don’t really read the newspaper.” So, now that you know what I think about things, what do you think? What do you like about what we’re doing? What do you hate? What can we do better?

If you’re an emailer, email me at cjmaher@king-ranch.com and tell me your opinion.

I also respond to (gasp) letters that are mailed. Send your mail to P.O. Box 951 in Kingsville, TX 78364.

If you feel more comfortable talking in person, just come by the office, at 1831 W. Santa Gertrudis. Wednesdays and Thursdays are usually our more manageable days, but if you call ahead of time I’ll make a spot in my schedule any day. Got a coffee group, club or organization filled with people who have opinions about the paper? Give me a call and I’ll be glad to come by to discuss the newspaper with you.

One of the things I love about a community newspaper is the ability to connect on a direct level with our readers. It’s one of the (many) advantages we have over larger newspapers or television outlets.

Give me a call, write to me or stop by. I’ll respond to everyone who contacts me, and maybe use this space to relay some of your thoughts to the rest of our readers.

This is your newspaper, so I want you to be an active part of it.

Christopher Maher is the publisher of the Kingsville Record and Bishop News. Readers may send any encouragement, complaints or criticism, directly to him at cjmaher@king-ranch.com.