Be the best

Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.

I get a lot of grief over our Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada. At least one in 10 people who comment on it to me have to point out (in a nasally voice), “Gee, Brian, that Biggest Little Best of is all about selling advertising.”

To which I always say, “No shit, Sherlock.” And then, I point out the obvious: Free newspapers are always about selling advertising. That’s our “business model.” That advertising is how we are able to present the hard news, entertainment news, and event news that we put in this newspaper every week.

Now, here’s what makes us special. The advertising that is sold in this newspaper in no way influences the editorial product. In fact, we were just in a Washoe County court last week over the fact that an advertiser who expected special treatment from the editorial department couldn’t get it. He refused to pay his bill, which is not an altogether unusual technique advertisers pull when the editorial side of the paper irritates them. They learn that technique from the media that aren’t about “selling advertising.”

Anyway, I say all that by way of illustration that we in editorial truly don’t care who the public selects as “best.” Our concern is making our Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada the most accurate, comprehensive readers’ poll. Nobody can buy extra ballots to game the system—not here anyway.

Now’s the time to vote. We added a bunch of new categories and are giving people the chance to add more. This is going to be our Biggest Best Of ever, so please check out www.newsreview.com/reno and click on that box at the top right corner of your browser.