Perhaps not the way I initially intended to ever be covered by the national press, but Editor & Publisher called me this morning to discuss the picture I posted of me holding a gun.

They wanted to know what the reaction was, how my editors reacted, all that inside baseball stuff that other journalists want to know about other journalists who are tackling this thing called blogging.

I told them the reaction, for the most part, has been positive – and obviously my editors didn’t make me pull the picture down (I did hear that advertising was abuzz, though, too).

Most people understand the point: Firstly, to foster more of the great discussion we’ve been having here since the onset of this fine blog in October. Secondly, to make a point. People always want to peg others as being of some political stripe. Believe it or not, I’m of none. I may be holding that gun, but I’ve only ever been hunting once in my life. It’s not my gun, either. That’s what people in Idaho do, they shoot guns, and that’s what I did with family. I do realize now that the picture can be seen as fairly shocking. To me, it wasn’t, because that’s how I was raised in a state that has guns everywhere (my parents don’t have guns, but I did once have a .22 when I was a kid. We fished, mostly).

The reaction was mostly positive, save for a few anonymous trolls who aren’t invited to our little party here. I received numerous e-mails, everyone from locals to people down in Olympia, saying the discussion was interesting and thanks for posting the picture.

That’s the point. The discussion. This blogging medium allows you to be more involved with your community paper. Time and time again people have said these blogs are a great way for them to have a vested interest in their daily paper – and that’s exactly what I wanted. If I have to post a ridiculous picture of me, or something that mocks me, to prove a point, or to continue our discussions, I’ll do it.

Thanks for tuning in, and I hope you’ll stick around.