i Assistant Editor's Letter: Keeping you lot, the readers, happy

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My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.

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Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Ah well! All I try to do is have a bit of fun to liven up those otherwise routine days… In truth, writing a daily column is a difficult task, especially when there are so many of you who evidently turn to this page first. Once I’ve settled on the subject, there’s the small matter of squeezing the time in to write it. Readers and colleagues alike have not been shy of passing on their own advice on how this letter should be composed, from subject matter to style – and I’m grateful for those pointers.

As many of our regular columnists will already know, it is impossible to keep all of the people happy all of the time. So forgive me for feeling pretty chuffed that, judging from the feedback I receive, on the whole most of you are happy most of the time. I know some of you don’t like it when I have a bit of fun, such as over the past few days - others prefer me not to get too serious. There is always a balance to be struck, but more often than not you’ll find me erring on the lighter side.

As a serious newspaper, we try to break things up with lighter articles, which is one of the reasons why we include picture stories and a graphic, list and profile on our opening spread - something that will hopefully make you chuckle as you make your way to begin your daily grind.

With well-documented links between stress levels and health problems, it is important to take every opportunity to switch off. I have my two children to keep my mind off work on my rare days out of the office (note, not days off), although arguably, with them aged two-and-a-half and five, it is often more stressful than getting the paper done!

Twitter.com: @jonesrhodri