I think your policy might have been right for how Berkeleyside would likely have covered the story, but is wrong as a blanket policy. In particular, I think that the frank coverage in a variety of other outlets helped to contribute to the overwhelming turnout of peaceful and peacekeeping protesters and to the clear informing of hooligans (and worse) that the regional police forces were very well prepared for them.

The damage that was done isn’t something to make light of at all but it was also far, far less than was realistically feared. I think the frank coverage, the churches, the youth orgs, even (against all odds) the city of Oakland and their mutual aid partners… all won that partial victory. There were no big surprises last night, aside from pleasant surprises — and that’s in no small part due to abundant and frank coverage in advance.

Your decision was 100% correct. The very reason I (and presumably other readers) love Berkeleyside is that it is a source of timely, local news about Berkeley and our doings. Once you broaden your charter and extend your coverage outside of Berkeley, you start to spread yourselves a little thin.

Thomas Lord has a beautiful point, however. I think he is absolutely correct. But may I respectfully submit that resources other than Berkeleyside might provide the “frank coverage” he talks about? Hmmm.

Sigh. Can’t have it both ways! Life ain’t easy. :-)

This reader supports your decision. There will always be very compelling, meaningful, important stories that will come close to matching Berkeleyside’s purpose … but not exactly. Creating a vision, setting limits and resisting distractions from that vision is a worthy practice and goal.

I agree that covering the verdict is outside of the scope of Berkeleyside’s mission. But some Berkeley merchants were prepared for the worst, and that might have been a story. I stopped into the Safeway at Claremont and College about 9 pm on the day of the verdict. The normal entrance and exit doors were blocked with pallets and stacks of crushed boxes. All patrons were directed to enter and exit from one door. This was overkill, in my view, but it was clearly a case of a Berkeley merchant that had made preparations in anticipation of the worst from its unruly neighbor. You might have covered that angle: what if anything are merchants and residents doing in anticipation of this verdict. Or you might cover the bigger question about the dynamics of the relationship between Berkeley and Oakland.

I applaud you. Stuck for an hour in “evacuee” traffic leaving Oakland for my home in South Berkeley on Thursday, I listened to the radio press hype the anticipated dangers. I prefer tour style of journalism. And please keep it local.

Safeway’s in Oakland.

elmwood neighbor, I shop there often too although I have never seen what looked to me like a blockade of pallets and crushed boxes in front of the doors that are normally open. I asked the clerk if they were preparing for riots and he just laughed.