The space between newsprint and readers

Between the inked pages of any local newspaper and beyond news stories, there are stories of wins and losses, businesses and social doings, deaths and births and entertainment. There are advertisements and legals and in our paper there are prayer requests. Our newspaper, and others, are more important to a community than some might suspect. My five-year anniversary as editor of the Clay County Courier is coming up in a week at the end of June. I have to say I have learned so much about a great many things in that time. It’s what makes this job so interesting.

One thing I’ve learned working at a weekly newspaper is that your life picks up speed as each week whizzes by faster than you can say “Freedom of Information Act.”

In these few years, I have had my eyes opened about our community and our people in many ways. I had no idea when I started in this position everything it would entail. Doing my job is not always just doing the physical work. No one’s job is just the work if they care about the people.

There’s more to this position than wearing the hat of “editor.” Besides the regular activities such as interviewing, writing articles, seeking out news, attending events, pagination, editing written pieces and handling subscriptions, I’m also a listener. Sometimes I’m a shoulder. Other times my role is watchdog for our city and her residents. If someone says it’s raining and another person says it’s dry, it’s not my job to just quote them both. It’s my job to look out the window and find out which is true. I’m always our town’s cheerleader and an advocate for those who need help. Sometimes people need a little power to help improve their situation.

An avid newspaper reader, I was surprised when I became an editor to learn of the distinct power the newspaper possesses: the “power of the press” as they say. I take that power seriously and use it in the most respectful and fair ways to assist our community and the people in it. I’ve heard people tell others that I’m not afraid of anything related to publishing in our newspaper. Well, I am afraid of one thing. I’m afraid my little town will dry up and blow away. And I stand shoulder to shoulder with our community in doing whatever it takes to help bring in jobs, assist the senior citizens, students and general population in order to thrive. I strive to help improve our town and those surrounding it, sometimes behind the scenes and sometimes by publishing improvements needed or issues that need to be resolved. It is very gratifying work. Residents don’t care about who gets credit, they care about results and that’s as it should be.

It’s funny: Sometimes we may think our job is about one thing and it turns out it’s about so many others. The many conversations and connections I have made have enriched my life in a way I couldn’t and didn’t foresee.

Everyone has a story. When it comes down to it, we all have burdens. Everyone has problems, issues with either their health or that of a loved one, money or relationships. Everyone has loved and lost loved ones. Their pain is transparent as they tell their stories, some for the newspaper, others off the record, because they need an ear. You feel the impact of your newspaper and how it can affect people in a visceral way when a reader, a stranger, calls you from the hospital after a family member has passed, because they didn’t know what to do or who to call and they thought “I’ll call Pam at the Courier.” It’s an honor and a privilege to have people think of the newspaper as a friend, a confidant, a trusted news source and an entity that can help.

A newspaper is somewhat treated like the library. People call and want to know things. Sometimes questions about research or about topics like NASA and the foods that astronauts eat. And the newspaper houses their archives, which are a wealth of information.

I wouldn’t have thought that an editor’s job was a public service type position, but it is. A newspaper serves its community, stands up for it, empowers it to be its best and above all, proudly provides the news. It reminds the community that we should make choices that reflect our hopes and not our fears.

Wherever you live, support your local newspaper. Purchase a subscription, buy advertising, help it assist your community. There’s more to those ink-filled newsprint pages than meets the eye. There’s the space between the newsprint and subscribers where the community lives.

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