This I sent to the Telegraph today.

Dear Editors,

Your cynicism hurts us all. I write this as Chris Horne, a product of Macon—not the supposedly embittered kazoo emcee and not as the editor of the local free weekly. My beef is as a resident. Growing up here, I learned to begrudge it because everyone around me did. Living in Nashville, Detroit and Atlanta removed the blinders. When I returned home, I found an incredible city full of amazing people. This even though much hadn’t changed besides my perspective.

Yes, the headline hurt, but it made me laugh too. “Macon blows kazoo record – again.” The Telegraph never ceases to amaze me when it comes to how out of touch it can be. And then to hear that Kenny B and Charlie E, the supposed saviors of local talk radio, were mocking the attempt—can’t say I’m surprised. You have earned your reputation as “the (Used to be Macon) Telegraph”. You might not be able to help the handcuffs that corporate throws on you and you certainly can’t help the shrinking staff, but you can help your perspective. Sometimes, that’s all that matters.

Example: Name an event in Macon that was labeled a failure when it brought in nearly 800 people from all walks of life to pay to do something as seemingly pointless as playing a kazoo for nothing more in exchange than civic pride. You can’t. And the year before, in the rain and the mud, there were 2,000+. No, neither effort landed us a Guinness World Book Record, but for me, there was always only one reason to do it: to bring this community together without regard to social, political, racial or economic lines. And having stared back at both crowds, I say both times we succeeded.

I made that point—that this was about community—to Ashley Joyner, the Telegraph reporter. And I also answered her questions about why I thought we weren’t even close to the record. Of the four or five factors that I gave, she chose this: “‘Macon gets down on itself so easily,’ said Chris Horne of the 11th Hour, an event sponsor.”

I stand by my statement, but I want to add an addendum: How else could the city-at-large feel when the biggest mirrors being held up to it by the local media offer such an ugly and often inaccurate reflection? I know there are many obstacles outside of the Telegraph’s control: the Internet generation, transient reporters with no incentive to become invested, the stumbling economy, etc. But this isn’t about “doing more with less”; it’s about appropriating the right perspective.

No, Macon didn’t “blow” the kazoo record again—Macon came together in spite of it. Besides, you hum into a kazoo; you don’t blow it.

Chris Horne
571 Cherry Street
Macon, GA 31201