tives to the local journalism scene,” Buchanan said.
What advice do you have for other young professionals in the newspaper industry? For those just starting out: the best thing you can do is write a lot and gain experience, obviously, but don’t underestimate the value of simply spending time in a professional newsroom and observing. I see so many college students who complete an internship remotely, without ever spending quality time in the office. It’s important to see how the news gathering process works and how journalists manage their time. Plus, a positive attitude and familiar face might eventually land you a job. Another important trait is to be willing to develop many different skills. Journalists will develop specialties and expertise over time, but it helps to establish a base of knowledge and experience in a wide variety of reporting topics.
For a small town paper, how do you measure success?
In Vinton County, the least-populated county in Ohio, I sometimes joke our newspaper follows the “Mama Renie’s Standard.” That’s our local diner in town. Our weekly newspaper prints on Wednesdays, and I would often get lunch there the following Monday after the local government meetings. If there were no more papers for sale there by Monday, that’s a sign people are reading our news and we’re on the right track. For better or worse, journalism in small communities can be a very personal thing. For every compliment or complaint, I’ve tried to keep the perspective that readers truly care about their local paper—especially when the paper makes an effort to care about them. editorandpublisher.com
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Leslie Carberry, 24 Prepress manager, Sequoyah County Times Sallisaw, Okla. Education: Bokoshe High School
Leslie Carberry’s newspaper career already spans 10 years, an impressive feat for someone her age. Since her humble beginnings at the newspaper working part time as a typist while in high school, Carberry has worked her way up the ranks at the Sequoyah County Times. These days around the office she’s known as the “Pre-Press Princess.” Carberry wears the many hats of her job well. She juggles multiple projects efficiently, often times building pages for multiple publications and special sections while troubleshooting problems for her coworkers. What makes her special is that she learned the ins and outs of not only her job but the entire production cycle. She manages the servers and keeps them updated, manages social media platforms for the publication, plates the newspaper and even handles plating for the company’s commercial client work. “Her diverse skill set and overall knowledge of the business make her wise and valuable well beyond her years,” said Carrie Carberry, advertising manager at the Times’ parent company, Cookson Hills Publishers, Inc.
What advice do you have for other young professionals in the newspaper industry? Always ask questions and continue learning by watching and paying attention to any available opportunities to expand on your work. Opportunities are not always obvious. Your ideas and opinions are important—don’t be afraid to express them. Your age doesn’t have to define you, but the quality of your work and work ethic will. Never be afraid to ask for help, but also be willing to offer help on anything, even if it’s something you’re not comfortable with. Your input, energy and ideas are the future of our business, so give it your absolute best and have fun.
Where do you see the future of print heading? I see the future of print balancing with technology. Technology has given the print industry tools to evolve and enable a smoother production cycle. As long as we embrace our heritage of credible reporting, fact checking and accuracy I believe the print industry will remain a viable media. Our responsibility to our communities is to provide local information, stories and advertisements that are specific to the areas we cover. I believe that we can embrace technology, and couple it with our printed expertise and traditions to provide this service and create a balanced future for our industry. APRIL 2018 | E & P
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