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By David Fink
The public’s fascination with robust reporting and support for a free press were on display last January 23rd at The Lyceum in Hartford when a large crowd attended “The Stories Behind The Biggest Stories of 2016. . . and the Storms on the 2017 Horizon.”
The recap of the past year’s major news events, and the look ahead, was the kickoff of what CFOG hopes to be an annual affair. From the reviews of attendees and the regrets expressed by those who couldn’t make it (“Please keep me on the mailing list for future events,” many said), that seems likely.
The evening began with a welcome by WNPR radio host and Hartford Courant columnist Colin McEnroe and was followed by a panel discussion moderated by CTNewsJunkie Editor Christine Stuart.
The panel – Mark Pazniokas (CTMirror), Ken Dixon (CT Post), Matt Kaufman (Hartford Courant) and Susan Bigelow (CTNewsJunkie) – focused on everything from the state’s continuing fiscal struggles to the prospects and concerns about the nascent Trump administration.
The idea behind the event – that reporters almost always know more than they are able to include in their stories and have perspective from their vantage points that the public lacks – was borne out by the discussion, which intensified over the 90-minute gathering. Most everyone said they would have stayed longer – the sign of a successful evening!