I don’t think I’ve ever been picketed before. So I’m kind of looking forward to Oct. 16.

On that day, local organizers of the “Tea Party” movement plan to rally outside The World office, as part of the national “Can You Hear Us Now?” campaign. I may bring my own picket sign. It’ll say, “Yep!”

The Tea Partiers are ordinary citizens, mostly conservatives. They’ve organized hundreds of protests nationwide against the health care bill, the federal debt and the Obama administration. They say they’re tired of being ignored by news media.

They plan to visit The World at 9 a.m. on Oct. 16. I’ll be out front to greet them.

I’m not sure, however, why they think marching is necessary. The World is about as accessible as a newspaper can be. Consider:

n We routinely solicit letters to the editor, and we print any letter that meets our lenient standards.

n We invite readers to post comments at www.theworldlink.com.

n We’re happy to print notices about upcoming events, including protest marches.

n We cover all the local news we can get. We printed stories and photos about Tea Party events in April and July.

n Any reader can e-mail or call me. If you don’t catch me at my desk, leave a message. I’ll call back.

Last week, I spoke with Adella Robison of Sixes, one of the Coos County march organizers. She told me she’s deeply concerned about America’s future, and she feels marginalized and ridiculed by the news media.

“We want people to know that the grassroots people are concerned,” she said.

Mrs. Robison, I hear you loud and clear. Let me make a couple of observations.

First, the mainstream media aren’t nearly as hostile as some people say. Right-wing broadcast personalities spend a lot of air time badmouthing us, but smart conservatives apply healthy skepticism. Like all broadcasters, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck get paid for boosting their own ratings.

Second, marching with signs is a dead end. Coos County’s first Tea Party event was news. The sixth or seventh, not so much.

Political debate shouldn’t be about how many people you can assemble in the street. It should be about ideas. So, if you want a platform for your viewpoint, try using your keyboard instead of your poster paint. Send me a letter. I’ll share it with our readers.

The real challenge for conservative Americans is not to win the news media’s attention, but to persuade other Americans to elect conservative leaders. Marching was a good start, but it’s time to move on.

(Have a comment or question for Publisher/Editor Clark Walworth? E-mail him at cwalworth@theworldlink.com.)