The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

We, at the Advocate-Messenger, are gearing up for National Newspaper Week, which is celebrated Oct. 4 through 10.

This year’s theme - America Needs Journalists - has never been more timely.

In a time when we hear “fake news” uttered on a daily basis, it’s time to clear the air and face the truth.

Ethical journalists do not file fake news stories. We fact check (a term Scott has learned a lot about in the last year because I use it all the time), fact check again and fact check one final time before sending an article to print. We vet sources and double check their quotes, deciphering nuances of meaning and intent.

I am not saying we occasionally don’t get things wrong. We are human. How we respond to an error, whether verbally with a customer or interviewee or with a correction in print, sets ethical journalists apart. We refuse to make excuses and place blame on someone else. If we mess up, we own it and learn from it.

This year’s theme has me thinking about journalists who have inspired me, whose work stands apart from others, setting the bar high. These are the journalists whose work pushes me to be better everyday, to fine-tune my craft. Their work makes me think critically, ask tough questions and face the ugly truths that lurk in this peacefully chaotic world.

I’m inspired by journalists like the late Evelyn Aufdenkamp, former editor of my hometown newspaper, the Clay County News. Her personal column, “Echoes,” was a must-read for more than 28 years. She intertwined personal anecdotes with current events, sharing her take on the world. I am confident she shaped my view on what a top-notch editorial Page looks like and how column writing creates a conversation with readers.

She also handed me my first news assignment: a sports feature on Nebraska Husker I.M. Hipp. The football player was a friend of our family and my job was to write a feature story about the South Carolina boy who ran his way into fans’ hearts and university record books. I was 16 and simultaneously thrilled and scared to death to write about my Husker hero.

I’m inspired by journalists like Sharon Behl Brooks. She was a news anchor on a Hastings television station and later, one of my J-school profs. She dug into stories, offered fresh angles, posed difficult questions. As an anchor during the 1970s, she shattered the mythical glass ceiling, proving female reporters were more than capable of handling difficult topics. Our family tuned in nightly.

From her, I discovered the importance of showing empathy while maintaining professionalism. Developing that connection brings a stronger narrative sense to a piece. That has stuck with me.

I’m inspired by journalists like Lars Anderson, a former Sports Illustrated reporter and bestselling author. His Bleacher Report article, “The Death of a Teenage Quarterback,” remains one of my favorite long-form journalism pieces. It reads like a non-fiction book, draws you into the story and leaves you heartbroken as you read the last word.

In conversations with him, I’ve discovered solid sports writing creates a bond between the subject and reader. It builds on empathy and common ground and lays out the cold, hard truths about life and loss. It’s a pure and honest look at society’s fascination with sports and athletic elites, for better or worse.

It’s true. America needs journalists. We need journalists who go the extra mile to bring heartfelt stories. We need journalists who dig into the gritty underbelly of the worst of what society offers and exposes the repurcussions.We need journalists to serve as watchdogs of the government. And, we need journalists to share the truth every single day.

That’s the type of journalists we strive to be for you, our readers.

Which journalist(s) have inspired you? Share your thoughts by emailing [email protected] or drop by The Office for conversation and coffee.