This is National Newspaper Week. Any joy in celebrating this is tempered by the fact that the total number of newspapers in America has diminished by one-third. Social media did those newspapers in.
I'm proud that my presence on the local beat reaches back to a time in the '80s and '90s when there were six different media representatives at every Macomb City Council meeting. The city had two newspapers and two locally active radio stations, plus the Western Courier, and WU TV news.
The Macomb Journal had a staff of six news and sports writers. Corporate absorption and resource plundering eventually resulted in a name change and elimination of half that total. In the better days, I worked there with Darcie Dyer (now Shinberger), Shelby Burget, Arlen Britton, and Lynne Campbell.
A love of journalism has brought that group back together. We're now here at the Community News Brief. We've been joined by Nathan Woodside, who formerly wrote news for the Macomb Eagle and went on to edit newspapers and manage websites and social media in Springfield and in the St. Louis area. A local correspondent of significant years, Christopher Ginn, brings news from the Macomb School Board and the Colchester City Council. A former Macomb Eagle reporter, Nick Curtis, covers the Industry Village Board. All who are here have given this little paper a powerful local punch.
But it could get even better, and you could be a part of it. I hope you've read Publisher Lynne Campbell's notices seeking additional writers. I think the goal is to replicate the glory days of the Macomb Journal, with people covering every community and significant local groups.
It may boost your courage to write by knowing that journalism has changed slightly over the years. There is no longer a battle-scarred editor molding reporters in his or her image. Individual interests and writing styles are encouraged. Stories by Cheryl Douglas, Gina Anderson and Brie Coder come to mind. If you feel that you need a little help getting started or in polishing a story, Lynne, Darcie, and Nathan are wonderful mentors.
Lynne has reached out to the only other generator of local news, Tri-States Public Radio, for information sharing. I start each morning listening to some wonderful local stories from Rich Egger and Jane Carlson. Macomb is lucky to have that radio station and this newspaper.
I started my adventures in journalism as a high school correspondent for the Moline Dispatch and Quad-City Times. For much of my career here, I was all over Macomb. Now that I've passed my 74th birthday, I've cut back. But I still want to write and will continue to do so. But this leaves room for you. I urge you to give your local newspaper a try.
