Did you see the front page of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday?

The main headline read: &8220;Macy&8217;s North division to close.&8221;

The story detailed how 950 jobs will leave Minneapolis and told how the announcement Wednesday at the Macy&8217;s division headquarters in Minneapolis left the staff stunned.

Will this so-called negative news on the front page of the Minneapolis newspaper ruin the ability of that city&8217;s elected officials and economic developers to attract companies? No.

In fact, it is wise for economic officials and others involved with disappointing situations to be straightforward about what happened. Keeping it secret from the media only leads to gossip, rumors and speculation among the general public. It is best to use the media to get the facts out there when economic development news is good or bad.

Because of the Star Tribune story, shoppers know the Macy&8217;s division headquarters will close but, yes, the stores will stay open. Without it, rumors surely would have spread that the stores were doomed, too.

On Jan. 28, a story on the front page of the Albert Lea Tribune told how Albert Lea was the last Minnesota city in an enzyme maker&8217;s hunt for a place to build a plant but that company opted to look elsewhere. Albert Lea Economic Development Director Dan Dorman cooperated with the newspaper in making the story happen while being careful not to name the company because the search still was ongoing.

But some locals were critical of Dorman for talking with the newspaper about &8220;negative&8221; economic development news and some were critical of the newspaper for printing it.

Let&8217;s get something straight: News is not about positive or negative. It is about being honest about events that occur. The Tribune wants success for economic development in Albert Lea &8212; we cover groundbreakings, too. But we don&8217;t believe covering up the truth is the way to go about economic development. Dorman knows that, too.

If the general public is informed about economic development &8212; for better or for worse &8212; they&8217;ll be less likely to make wild speculations about the local efforts being made.

In the story, Dorman made interesting points about competing with Iowa and other states. That has prompted further dialogue in Albert Lea and around the state. We&8217;ve heard opinions about the same subject during many conversations since then. The resulting healthy dialogue is why the news &8212; good or bad &8212; is so vital to the health and vibrancy of a community. You have to be willing to look at yourself in the mirror.