As a writer, being at a loss for words is not a concept that I am comfortable with, but more than ever before, I have recently found myself having to justify my job to people who have no concept of what it means to be a journalist in this day and age.
I am tired of doing that.
This job is my passion. Any true journalist must have deep love for the written word, because if you do not, you will not last in the this business. You know that people will write you nasty letters because they do not agree with what you have written. You know that there will be days when you get to the newsroom at 5 a.m., as I do, and your voicemail will already be full. You know you will miss family time and special events because the news waits for no one. You know there’s a good chance you will be getting a call at 2 a.m. on Christmas morning because of breaking news.
Journalists do not have the luxury of an off day or a sick day. While you are filling your Thanksgiving plate, journalists are at work so you will have a paper to get the Black Friday ads to arm yourself for your shopping spree. The world keeps turning and it is our job to keep the public informed. Holidays don’t matter when a major fire breaks out. The fact that you’ve had two hours of sleep and haven’t had a conversation with your husband in two days beyond saying “I love you” doesn’t matter when a baby is thrown out of the window of a vehicle on the highway.
I accept these things because I love my job, but I don’t always like them.
I have thick skin when it comes to criticism about my writing. The reason for that is because I believe I do my job well. As I said in my introduction column when I began my role here at The Saline Courier, I believe that it is my responsibility to tell the public what they need to know. I will always strive to be fair in my reporting. I’m not out to sensationalize things just for the attention grabbing headline, but I will write a story if it needs telling.
Journalism is not always comfortable. I don’t believe in a “gotcha” type of approach, but I will ask the hard questions that need asking. I believe that respectability and integrity are an integral part of responsible journalism. I want both the readers of this paper and anyone that I interview to know that I take my job seriously and that I will always endeavor to report the truth.
Because I believe that, it does anger me when people accuse me of editorializing an article or not being a journalist of good caliber like reporters from the past such as Walter Cronkite. You will NEVER see me put a personal opinion, political or otherwise in my news stories or features. My personal political opinions are my own and not anyone else’s business. I VERY RARELY, if ever, share them in my own private social media accounts. It’s mostly filled with mushy posts about my husband, who is the editor of a different newspaper, anything dog related and a ton of my geeky passions such as Doctor Who. Seriously, there are A LOT of dog-related memes.
The only recent exception was a post to encourage people to vote no on Issue 3 which, if passed, could eliminate the requirement of public notice of proposed constitutional amendments and initiated acts in newspapers.
As the Arkansas Press Association said, “Issue 3 is bad for transparency and accountability, bad for voters and bad for Arkansas newspapers.”
It is the public’s RIGHT to know what is happening in Arkansas government. If this passes, it opens the door for more behind closed door operations of your government.
Trust me. I have personally experienced what it’s like to be in a country with state run media. You need transparency. My journalism experience from my time in places such as China and Russia was harrowing and eye opening. One reporter at the TIME magazine office in Beijing cautioned that the words we said or wrote could potentially endanger our freedom or lives.
With so much misinformation clogging social media feeds regarding hot issues such as COVID-19, naturally the truth can be hard to find in the muck. Yes, social media can provide a quick way to disseminate news, but the question becomes, do you want it quick or do you want it correct?
Why have some of my stories appeared 10 minutes or even hours later than others? Because I do not just copy and paste a press release and call it news. I confirm with sources. I want to hear from the county judge, the mayor, the police chief, the superintendent etc. and get their thoughts. They are not always reachable and sometimes I do have to move forward with a media release only. I don’t like that, but that’s the way it goes some days. Personally, I endeavor for all my stories to be quick AND correct.
If you disagree with an article written by any journalist anywhere, you are free to issue a rebuttal in the form of a Letter to the Editor. That’s the beauty of this country. I would only ask one thing of you and that is, THINK before you write. Explain yourself clearly. Calling me or any other journalist names or just saying “you’re a (expletive) writer” accomplishes nothing and shows, much like Game of Thrones’ Jon Snow, “you know nothing.” Those go straight to the trash without another thought. As The Doctor from my beloved Doctor Who would say, “Never be cruel, never be cowardly … remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.”
•••
Dana is a senior reporter for The Saline Courier. She may be reached at dguthrie@bentoncourier.com.
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October 08, 2020 at 10:00PM
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Editorial: Do you want it quick or correct? - Benton Courier
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