Things On Our ‘To Do’ List

Made your New Year’s resolutions? Us, too.

For 20-plus years, Hour Detroit has been a go-to for stories on local design, fashion, food, people, and the arts. But at the end of each year, we reflect on what we did right or wrong, what could have been better, and what we might have missed.

A while back, I took exception to a reader complaining we were simply a “feel-good lifestyle publication” and not “necessarily even journalism.” I wrote back that while we’re admittedly not predominantly issues-oriented crusaders, we have received scores of awards — for reports on human trafficking, complicated medical topics, record spending on political attack ads, and more.

Sure, our stunning photography and design also wins awards. But I concluded my (somewhat testy) response with: “Please don’t hate us because we’re pretty.”

That said, we’ll strive to maintain our looks and our focus on issues and people affecting your lives. Yes, we love Detroit and will celebrate its vast potential, but we’ll also continue pointing out what needs to be fixed.

For a hint of what’s to come, see page 23 in the print edition for issues on our “Watch List.” We’re also including new voices, like Eric Thomas’ essay on how Detroit might beat the gentrification game in a way that doesn’t leave others behind.

While we’re talking about room for improvement, our December story about Detroit Red Wing Dylan Larkin was cut short. Not to get overly technical, but the error happened during a last-minute attempt to make the story look better. The full version is at hourdetroit.com. We especially apologize to the Larkin family, who were so generous with their time.

The bottom line: Whether it’s the issues we cover or the way we cover them — or even the way we turn materials over to the printer — we resolve to do better in 2017.