“The first drafts of mayhem”

A newspaper classic is making a long-overdue return. We’re not talking about the funny pages. Why is the blotter coming back to The News Tribune?

In the pre-digital era, we ran Police Beat several times a week. It was mandatory. Readers expected it. We even ran separate versions for different communities.

At papers large and small, police blotters provided a snapshot of home: intensely local, punchy and quick. Like coverage of schools, local government, local people and local business, the blotters told us what was going on.

Why it ever went away is problematic, but there’s no escaping that work like this is vital in community journalism.