Yes, the rumours are true. I am leaving the Humboldt Journal/East Central Trader.
I have two weeks left here, to train our new editor - Andrea Nicholl, and to say goodbye to the job that has eaten up most of my waking hours over the past 10 years.
It's a difficult job, being the editor of the newspaper in a community of this size. There are certain expectations, certain demands made of the person in this position, and the job itself comes with some baggage. I've been waiting for years to share some of the ins and outs of the job, but could never justify a column on it. But at this point, it's now or never, so here goes.
People expect an editor to be psychic. While I have to say that after 12 years in Humboldt, I have a pretty good idea about what goes on here, I don't hear everything. If someone has news they want in the paper, just call and tell the editor. He or she is only human, and usually without psychic powers of any kind.
As an editor, not only do you have to try to learn about pretty much everything that goes on, you have to write about it. Sometimes, people are happy with your work. And other times, they are really not. The unhappy ones are the vocal ones, usually. Sometimes, the happy ones express their thanks; it's too bad that doesn't happen more often.
Every mistake an editor makes is public. And it's guaranteed that someone will notice every spelling mistake, every misplaced modifier, every wrong address and feel the need to comment on it, so thick skin develops over time.
Some consider an editor public property. Calls at home, even while on vacation, to "just come and take some pictures" or to complain about a story are not uncommon.
Editors and reporters work while everyone else is at play. Hockey games, banquets, dance recitals, drama productions - other people are there in their leisure time. But reporters are actually on the clock. And yes, it is work.
The public only sees half the job you do. There is a very public side to reporting and editing, and another side that's behind the scenes. The public sees us running around, talking to people and grabbing photos. But they don't see us back at the office, downloading photos and writing up the event we were just at. They see the end result, but somehow, many think we just pull all that out of thin air in a few minutes. Good stories take time to write. And I like to write good stories.
As an editor, you have to take the flak you deserve, and deflect that you don't.
The job involves stirring the pot, which can result in positive change but negative feedback, and make the job uncomfortable sometimes, but rewarding in the end.
You have to accept you will make some people angry, especially those going to court. People up on charges really don't like having their name in the paper for some reason. For instance, one woman facing drug trafficking charges came into my office a few years ago and demanded I stop printing her name. I told her if she didn't want her name in the paper, there was a simple solution. "Don't sell drugs." She called me some names and stomped out. Her name kept going in the paper and she was eventually convicted.
As the years go by, an editor will know more and more people in the community. That can be good, and it can be bad. The good part is, you know who to talk to about pretty much any subject. The bad part is that makes it difficult to remain objective.
You have to go into work every day with a plan of attack, and be willing to throw that plan completely out the window if something major comes up.
Ambition is one thing, and compassion is another. It's been my goal, in this job, to put the latter before the former. I hope I succeeded.
