Ask The Editor: A goodbye letter to reporters and editors

Dear Six Rivers Media Reporters and Editors – Friday was my 1,761st and last day with Six Rivers Media, wrapping up my 45 years working in newsrooms across the country. CEO and owner Allen Rau asked that I write a column addressed to you. Here it goes: Thoughts for Reporters: Never forget that being a reporter is the greatest job in the world. The work you do makes a difference in a multitude of ways that you will never know about. Start your day by reading all the local stories in all Six Rivers Media newspapers. A newspaper reflects the soul of a community. I cannot think of a better way to arrive at a sense of place and to understand what makes your community unique. Make daily and weekly beat calls. Regularly add sources from all stations of life. Do not rely on the "usual suspects" as your sources. Do not rely on email, text messages and phone calls. Hit the streets for face-to-face communication. Nothing better than old-fashioned, shoe-leather reporting. Make regular public records requests to every layer of government for information that otherwise might not ever see the light of day. Conflict is at the heart of every great story. Conflict is man vs. man, man vs. nature or man vs. himself. Rarely, if ever, use unnamed sources in your stories. On-the-record accounts provide strength and credibility, the demand for which has never been greater in this era of misinformation spread on social media. Internalize AP Style. Beat the competition on the street. If you get scooped, hit back harder by advancing the story. Use Artificial Intelligence wisely. Do not become a paint-by-numbers journalist. Aspire to have your stories on Page 1. Emphasize human elements. If there's a story to write, write it. Do not allow it to fester. Take truth to power. If the Emperor has no clothes, say so. Thoughts for Editors: Keep readers top of mind. Trust and empower your reporters. Delegate. Encourage ideas from the bottom up. You will be rewarded with creativity, enthusiasm and better newspapers for the readers. Push reporters to find and unearth stories -- stories that people talk about. Emphasize larger themes. Look at the larger picture and analyze the information or situation — where is the story going, where might it go next, where could we take it deeper. Engage the public by speaking to groups in person – from sewing clubs to chambers of commerce. Get out of the office. Offer sincere praise and kudos to your reporters. Enter your best work in journalism contests. Do not overreact to outliers. Choose face-to-face communication versus email as much as possible. Give a voice to the voiceless, the poor and downtrodden. If there's a story to edit, edit it. Do not allow it to fester. Take truth to power. If the Emperor has no clothes, say so. Thoughts for All: You have produced incredible, change-inducing journalism. Public service journalism. You tell the kind of stories that hit readers where they live. You do this daily. Hold true to the newsrooms' three overarching goals: 1) Get it right the first time; 2) Break the kind of news that others follow, and; 3) Tell great stories. Be good to one another. Thoughts for Readers: Your subscription supports Six Rivers Media's fearless journalism. Thank you. Final thoughts: I will miss all of you. I have been greatly honored to call you my colleagues and friends. -30-