Greg and I read the SD Tribune and feel strongly that we need to support our local paper or we will no longer have one. The headline doesn’t match the content most of the time and yet many people make judgements based on headlines only.
Hi Betsy, Wow, did your newsletter resonate with me on multiple levels, especially when you shared about being a general reporter covering lot of beats. Decades ago I worked as a cub reporter for my hometown newspaper. I used to think I wasn't a REAL journalist like those who worked for big city newspapers or major publications. But after reading about your experiences, I'm reassessing my career as a young reporter. I covered everything from obits and baby's first birthdays to school board and city council meetings. I sometimes got lucky and wrote feature stories where the managing editor put my story on Page One and gave me a byline. That was like gold back in the day. I also took photos and developed my own film in the paper's darkroom. So we reporters did everything but work in the backstop. I pulled tape off the AP wire service or maybe it was UPI back then. So long ago. But I'm proud of those experiences. If forced me out of my shy state as I had to learn how to deal with all types of people.
I'm saddened and alarmed that so many large and small newspapers have disappeared. I'm also sad that many large and small newspapers no longer feature local authors. The only authors who ever get mentioned are those names we always see in the news. Book review sections seem to be going the way of the buffalo except in a few major markets.
I confess that I've stopped reading the local paper although my hubby reads the Fort Worth Star-Telegram every morning (online now). The print edition was costing over a thousand a year so he subscribed to digital only and reads from his laptop. I was once an avid and loyal S-T reader but they lost me in some ways years ago when some of their top staff writers were let go and there were less feature stories, the book review section is almost dead, and they were more interested in writing page after page about TV and movies and design. Turned me off. I'm sorry to say that I was once a print newspaper reporter and loyal reader but not so much these days.
Again, thanks for your eye-opening piece and for the book recommendation.
I'm also grappling with the fact that Jamal Khashoggi's name is rarely mentioned in the news these days. So much is happening with other crisis. I don't want his murder forgotten. And I also recall the murder of the journalist in the newspaper and the attack on the "Free Press."
I'm rambling. Thanks again for your informative newsletter!!
Greg and I read the SD Tribune and feel strongly that we need to support our local paper or we will no longer have one. The headline doesn’t match the content most of the time and yet many people make judgements based on headlines only.
another test. I didn't have to sign in.
This is a test.
Hi Betsy, Wow, did your newsletter resonate with me on multiple levels, especially when you shared about being a general reporter covering lot of beats. Decades ago I worked as a cub reporter for my hometown newspaper. I used to think I wasn't a REAL journalist like those who worked for big city newspapers or major publications. But after reading about your experiences, I'm reassessing my career as a young reporter. I covered everything from obits and baby's first birthdays to school board and city council meetings. I sometimes got lucky and wrote feature stories where the managing editor put my story on Page One and gave me a byline. That was like gold back in the day. I also took photos and developed my own film in the paper's darkroom. So we reporters did everything but work in the backstop. I pulled tape off the AP wire service or maybe it was UPI back then. So long ago. But I'm proud of those experiences. If forced me out of my shy state as I had to learn how to deal with all types of people.
I'm saddened and alarmed that so many large and small newspapers have disappeared. I'm also sad that many large and small newspapers no longer feature local authors. The only authors who ever get mentioned are those names we always see in the news. Book review sections seem to be going the way of the buffalo except in a few major markets.
I confess that I've stopped reading the local paper although my hubby reads the Fort Worth Star-Telegram every morning (online now). The print edition was costing over a thousand a year so he subscribed to digital only and reads from his laptop. I was once an avid and loyal S-T reader but they lost me in some ways years ago when some of their top staff writers were let go and there were less feature stories, the book review section is almost dead, and they were more interested in writing page after page about TV and movies and design. Turned me off. I'm sorry to say that I was once a print newspaper reporter and loyal reader but not so much these days.
Again, thanks for your eye-opening piece and for the book recommendation.
I'm also grappling with the fact that Jamal Khashoggi's name is rarely mentioned in the news these days. So much is happening with other crisis. I don't want his murder forgotten. And I also recall the murder of the journalist in the newspaper and the attack on the "Free Press."
I'm rambling. Thanks again for your informative newsletter!!
Kathleen
A test from a fresh day