This week marks my three-month anniversary as regional editor for West Kootenay and the Boundary region, covering Castlegar, Rossland, Arrow Lakes, Grand Forks and Greenwood.
It’s kind of hard to believe how quickly that time has gone.
Looking back on my first week, I had set some goals for myself as an editor and for the papers I manage.
1. Be an active mentor to the reporters at these papers: Check. Sometimes too active, they might tell you.
2. Introduce a weekly column to Rossland and Castlegar: Check. Humanizing the editor while working the writing muscles and sharing insights on the process and motivations are important for a community news editor.
3. Improve quality and quantity of news content for all papers and their websites: Mostly check. By taking away many administrative burdens from the reporters, they’ve been more able to focus on reporting and writing. You’ve likely seen much more content in the papers over the past month or so. We also launched a greatly improved site in Castlegar last week that we will build on in the months ahead.
4. Get involved in the communities: Mostly check. I visited all of the areas in my coverage scope, and attended council meetings in Castlegar, Rossland and Nakusp. I also visited the office and met with the team in Grand Forks.
I’ve also made some really great friends in the short time I’ve been here, which is a testament to the community.
In fact, I can say I’ve already become quite attached to Castlegar. I was immediately taken by the views, the fresh air and the relaxed vibe. Notwithstanding my close encounter with Karen the moose, it’s all been good. I’m looking forward to exploring the hiking trails and day trips this summer. Proximity to world-class activities is quite the plus.
I’ve also been luck to attend events like Soup for the Cultured Soul, where the area’s positivity is on vivid display.
After years of striving for that bigger job in the bigger market, I’ve matured enough to realize it’s more about work-life balance and overall quality of life. I was very much caught up in the “my circulation is bigger than yours” game for a while.
In past roles with big news companies, I was somewhat lost in the shuffle and policy and web innovation was handled at the head office level. In this role, I work for a publisher who came through editorial and has an in-depth understanding of newsroom needs and pressures, and also recognizes the importance of keeping church and state at arms length.
Here, I can have a direct impact on the community and the reporters who work here. My racing mind that comes up with ideas like the News Cafe and live-streaming election coverage can hop into overdrive here.
It is very refreshing to have the chance to start again at the community level, and have the reigns to make a meaningful imprint.
That opportunity is worth celebrating.
