Departing president of media group bids farewell to readers

When I graduated from the Scripps School of Journalism that spring, I jumped at the chance to join The Messenger’s staff as the crime and courts reporter.

I knew nothing about law enforcement or the criminal-justice system except what I had seen on television or in the movies. But the law-enforcement community, attorneys and judges took me under their wing and guided me on how to follow cases through the process. Steve Robb and Roy Cross showed me where to look for information that maybe people weren’t ready to talk about yet – or didn’t want to talk about at all.

Now, 25 years later, I’m about to go through that same learning process as I find my sea legs at the Ohio Statehouse where I’ll be lobbying on behalf of all of Ohio’s 300 daily newspapers and hundreds of weeklies and other non-dailies as the new president and executive director of the Ohio News Media Association. I’ll help reporters throughout the state who call the legal hotline, and I’ll spearhead revenue-generation efforts by AdOhio – the association’s advertising agency.

 Last week, I had to register as a lobbyist. For someone who minored in political science, a political news junkie, I’ll admit it sounds cool. I can’t wait to get my Statehouse identification card and be “official.”

 This week, I will walk out the door at the Athens Messenger knowing that the next time I walk in, it will no longer be my building. I’ll be a “visitor” or a “guest.” It’s a weird feeling. My kids have been in this building and in the Logan Daily News since before they could walk.

So why would I choose to leave such a wonderful place with its amazing, hard-working people? Because it is time.

 I have an opportunity to fight the bigger fight on behalf of not just APG’s newspapers but all of Ohio’s newspapers. Reporters who are hampered by public records and open meetings laws that sometimes aren’t followed. Advertising reps who are hindered by the false narrative that “print is dead” – an epitaph prematurely started years ago by their competitors in broadcast, outdoor and digital advertising. (You’re reading this – why wouldn’t you read an ad in the same paper?)

 I’ve had the privilege of working in this business for a long time, and I have never seen the press and First Amendment under such vicious and unrelenting attack as now – at a time when the industry is already facing serious revenue concerns as retail evolves, and clients and readers’ preferences for print versus digital platforms change. 

I don’t know where it’s all going – I don’t think anyone truly does. But I do know this. Journalists occasionally do make mistakes. They do NOT make up the news. Is there the occasional bad apple who makes the whole profession look bad? Sure. Just like those people exist in every profession – whether it’s medicine, law, sports or education. 

We are fortunate that communities seem to appreciate having their local papers. You may not always agree with what’s in yours. You may wish it had more of this or less of that. But please understand how lucky you are that your community still has local journalists. They work hard. They’re underpaid compared to other professions. They care about the people they write about. Please support them. Buy or read the paper – whether in print or online. Encourage your local business friends to spend their marketing dollars with local papers – either in the newspaper or through our digital marketing services. Attend and sponsor the newspaper’s events.

It’s important. If it’s all taken for granted, no one else will come here and do this at the level it’s already being done. People don’t really want a community where they have to cobble together bits of information from Facebook and Twitter and that’s all that exists. 

I’m grateful for everyone’s friendship and support as I’ve moved into different chairs in different offices. I have made many wonderful memories and will continue to live in Logan and be apart of the southeast Ohio community. It’s time to move on to something new but before I do, I wanted to say thank you to all of you. Whether you’re a reader, advertiser, community partner or co-worker, I’m grateful for the time we spent together, and I’m sure the next person to step into this role will come to appreciate all of you as much as I do.