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Newspaper work is all it’s cracked up to be By Michael C. Guilmette Jr. Originally published on Oct. 19, 2006, in the Niles Daily Star. Well, since Marcia stole my column idea for this week, I found myself struggling for an interesting topic to put in this issue.
It’s just as well. I’ve worked on progress editions at my previous newspaper, but I have not yet cut my teeth on Horizons — or, as some in our newsroom may call it, the ‘H’ word. Continuing to be honest, I am looking forward to diving into it. We have thought up some interesting story ideas, and without giving them away, I think our readers will find them interesting as well. Sure, Horizons will mean more work for our already busy staff, but from what I have seen accomplished in years past, the extra workload is worth it. Some excellent work has graced the many pages of Horizons, and this year, we will see more excellence. Now writing for my fourth newspaper, I can say extra work with limited staff is the norm, as I am sure it is the norm in many fields. Despite the challenges, however, I do find this field to be quite rewarding. In the newspaper world, one never knows what comes next. On Wednesday, Oct. 18, for instance, I covered the Berrien-Cass Legal Support Professionals dinner marking their 50th anniversary and honoring attorneys who have served Berrien and Cass counties for 25 years or more. Not only did I have the opportunity to meet some of the most noted lawyers and judges in this area, but I also was able to interview the keynote speaker, Justice Maura Corrigan of the Michigan Supreme Court. Not only was it impressive to speak with someone who is so involved with shaping public policy in this state, it was also comforting to find out just how down to earth someone who was considered for the U.S. Supreme Court can be. In the past, I have gone from interviewing people who run an exotic animal sanctuary to interviewing the governor — sometimes, in the space of a week. What I find to be humbling about this is, while I may meet these people directly, the average person on a given day only has the ability to read my account, making the need for accuracy and objectivity critical. Far more than being a privilege, covering the community and conveying it to our readers is our duty, and not one to be taken lightly. This job does have its downside as well. Aside from the steady stream of criticism that accompanies the work we do, we often must witness firsthand the trials and tribulations of life, such as the carnage caused by an automobile accident. Not just witness it, though, we must absorb it, digest it and report it accurately — that’s what the readers count on. Now, I realize police officers and fire fighters are much more involved in incidents than are reporters — that’s what they’re trained to do. But this leads me to another one of the perks of this job, and that is being able to get acquainted with some of the finest professionals any of us will ever meet. We’re usually meeting under not the best of situations, but seeing these men and women in action is also very impressive. Even though I fell into this career quite by accident, I cannot see myself doing anything else. Journalism, for all its faults and follies, is one of the most important institutions in our society, and I am humbled knowing the duty and expectations that comes with this job. And it is my responsibility to live up to these expectations. I gotta go. I’m still on deadline. • Guilmette is managing editor of the Niles Daily Star. He may be contacted at mguilmette@leaderpub.com. |
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Copyright © 2006, Michael C. Guilmette Jr. |
To be honest, Marcia Steffens, the diligent managing editor of the Edwardsburg Argus and the Cassopolis Vigilant, did not steal my idea. She was as well struggling for a topic, and I pitched the idea of previewing our annual Horizons edition. She gladly took the idea.
