When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I am a mom and a journalist. Being a parent is the hardest job I’ll ever have, but also so rewarding at the same time. Being a journalist in today’s world can be tough at times because of social media and the “public journalists” who write their opinions as facts. That’s how rumors can start and also can end up in a Facebook war on the subject. I know people who have gone to “Facebook jail” for their postings on Facebook. Don’t worry, these people I know were only in jail for 30 days or so and were allowed to begin posting their thoughts once again, hopefully with a lesson learned.
Being a reporter for a community newspaper is a privilege. The paper is for our readers to learn about their own specific community and what is going on around them. When you open our papers, you can see what’s going on in your schools, what crimes are being committed in your city, and maybe meet an outstanding volunteer or person who is making a difference in the community.
What we do as journalists does matter. A few years ago, I wrote a story about automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in police cars that deputies can use for emergency medical calls. An AED is a medical device designed to analyze the heart rhythm and deliver an electric shock to victims of ventricular fibrillation to restore the heart rhythm to normal. Ventricular fibrillation is the uncoordinated heart rhythm most often responsible for sudden cardiac arrest. The sheriff’s office didn’t have enough of these AED’s to have in every squad car. After someone read the story, they gave an anonymous donation to the sheriff’s office to make sure that every squad car had an AED.
Most of the reporters I know have one thing in common – curiosity. Since I’ve been a reporter, I have learned a lot about how city government works and I’ve seen strong communities in action. I’ve met so many people who truly care about their community and the people who live there. We also cover school boards, city council and township meetings and work to maintain a trusting relationship with our readers, law enforcement and government officials.
Twice a year we ask that you invest in the local newspaper with a subscription. On the front page of this newspaper there is a QR code that will take you right to the subscription page on our website. We need the support of the community with subscriptions to keep experienced, professionally-trained journalists writing the local news and information. This information is critical today and for generations to come. It is important to all of us. It is important now, and will be increasingly so in the years to come.
In all of our publications, readers partner with us by sharing news tips, photos, story ideas and event information. We continue to welcome your ideas, photos and story leads. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without your help. Digital technology and smartphones with high resolution allow our readers to send in instant high-quality pictures, which we truly appreciate. Please continue to share these events, from sporting events to your neighborhood activities. It may be something happening in your child’s classroom that’s worthy of a report. It may be what’s taking place in your church, mission trips, youth activities, etc. Keep it coming. As Press Publisher Emeritus Gene Johnson wrote, “We’ll record history together.”
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