There Are Rewards to Reporting the News

By John Kuykendall

A few weeks ago I met up with an old high school friend while shopping at the grocery store. We were playing catch up about family, etc. when he shocked me a little and made me realize just why I love what I do to make a living.
As the conversation turned to family, I explained I had not see my son’s family in a few years and wanted to do so, but time was an issue.
As usual, I got the same response I always receive when I try to explain it: “Just take a week off and go.”
I explained why it’s not that simple.
Most people wouldn’t do the job of a newspaper person for many reasons. One, you have to plan for retirement, it’s not a benefit. You have to provide your own insurance, it’s not a benefit. You do get a few holidays off, but most of the time, you end up working that day anyway – and I’ll explain later.
The routine of a newspaper is set and you must adhere to deadlines. Simply put, everything you write, every photograph you take, etc. has to be done by a certain time every week to make the newspaper. Why? Because you have other deadlines to meet. The deadlines of the printer, the deadline to get the newspapers to the post office to be mailed at the right time, and more. So, deadlines are a part of the week that must be recognized and met, and those are stretched out over several days.
Most newspaper people go to work every day between 8 and 8:30 a.m. and most don’t see home again until well into the evening and sometimes even early morning. Why? News never stops.
You work during the day and then cover evening meetings, athletic events and community events. Most community events happen on the weekends and being small newspapers those events are covered with a limited staff and two or three people can’t be everywhere, even though you try hard to.
Most newspaper people work at the minimum 50 hours a week and most weeks more. You miss anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and other family events to provide coverage to the readers. Then you are criticized because you can’t make every event.
Yes, life as a newspaper person is not easy and has its disadvantages. So why would someone like me do it for almost 50 years?
Here’s why – over the years I’ve covered many stories, helping to uncover things in the community or about people that needed to be known. Yes, most newspaper people who do their jobs are not well liked in the community and some even might feel as if they have a target on his or her back, but they wouldn’t give up what they do for a truckload of money, great benefits or other reasons and it is because they love what they do, but also because they do make a difference in the community.
Over the years, I’ve exposed corruption, making sure our government stays transparent and does the right thing for the community. Some people like me for doing it and some dislike me.
It is important to remember that a good story means providing the facts, keeping your personal feelings and opinions out of it and simply writing what is documented and is the truth.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what people think of us. It doesn’t matter what side of the story they may be on. What matters is keeping the public informed and writing only the story. No opinions, no adding to or taking away, just the facts and let the chips fall where they may.
So, now that you see all the down sides of what working for a newspaper can be, let me point out what makes it all worthwhile and why I love what I do.
Over the years, the work I’ve done and the work of other reporters have made our communities better for us, our children and our grandchildren. While we can’t solve all the problems or address all the issues, what we can do is write the truth and as you’ve probably heard so many times … allow the truth to set us free.
I also like writing the “fluff” stories about people who are doing great things.
Overall, it’s a tough and sometimes thankless job, but it is necessary for the community and our readers and I’ll continue to do it as long as God allows me to.
I love it for many reasons, but mostly because reporters can make a difference.