Doing good work

Martin Luther King Jr. has been quoted as saying, “Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.”

I can honestly say that I have tried to do that in bringing the community news each week in the Clay County Courier.

Being a newspaper editor is a privilege. I’ve enjoyed every hard-working minute of it. It’s a big responsibility reporting on local meetings, happenings and apprising the community of the local news. I came into this position with no background in the newspaper business and made this job my own. I implemented my background in education to inform readers. I believe there is a connection between educating people and informing them of important issues. Sometimes a newspaper shines a light on matters people should want to care about and it always supports local people and businesses.

You can’t do this job as editor and avoid criticism at times. The reality is that if you’re afraid of making someone upset in your community over facts and information, then you can’t do your job effectively. Sometimes you have to report things that some people will not be happy to read. You have to walk that line of caring about people, while not caring about what they may think of you. I think in a small town where the people are your friends and neighbors that job is just a little tougher than it is in metropolitan areas. To those reading this from other newspapers where the Lowe Down appears, please support your local newspaper and its editor. After all, it’s your newspaper.

I’ve worked to create a newspaper that Corning and Clay County could be proud to read and have as their own. And one that would be noticed by others across the state.

I’ve reached out to experts in various fields to get the best information about issues important to our community. On the topic of COVID-19 alone I’ve interviewed and reported on too many experts to count — doctors, pharmacists, authors and COVID-19 data experts — in order to get the best information on the pandemic for our community.

When the northeast Arkansas senior centers needed the funding they were promised, I talked with lobbyists and leaders in Arkansas Area on Aging to get information and our community wrote letters to the governor to share their concern. That concern was noticed by Gov. Hutchinson.

When local residents were tired of complaining to the city a few years ago about having to buy water to drink and replace their water-based appliances because of our poor water quality, I interviewed the Arkansas Department of Health, our water superintendent at the time, pored through our state water information and shared McDonald’s issues from a business standpoint.

I’m proud to say our community has had information comparable to any large newspaper. I often tell those in a position of authority that I interview that just because Corning and Clay County are a small rural community, it doesn’t mean that we do not deserve the best information available just as any big city does. I feel strongly about that.

I’ve made some great connections in many agencies, including the Arkansas Municipal League and Association of Arkansas Counties, who are more than willing to help a small community learn about the issues involving them. The Arkansas Press Association is proud of our newspaper and always on the ready to assist.

One of my favorite parts of the job has been highlighting the achievements of our local residents and young people. I know how families feel about having their children in the newspaper. It’s important. It’s also been a pleasure to shine a light on the Clay County Extension Service which does so much for our county’s residents and farmers. We live in a wonderful community and Arkansas needs to know it. We have many good and kind people in our area that make our community a great place to live.

I want to thank the many people who have sent photos and articles of interest, particularly sports photos and educational events so that readers could enjoy our community more thoroughly. This helped my reach and made events more readily available. I feel like my years spent at the newspaper I’ve been doing “good work.”

A community newspaper is something people shouldn’t take for granted. Its role cannot be emphasized enough in helping a community grow and prosper. The first thing many businesses ask to see when contemplating a move to a town is the newspaper in order to get a read on the community.

So as I prepare to send my last issue to the printer, I want to say thank you, Corning and Clay County and our readers for supporting me in my role as editor of the Courier and in helping me share our community with others.

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Pam Lowe is editor of the Clay County Courier in Corning. Her email address is pamlowe@claycountycourier.

com.