A Bittersweet Farewell To Sentinel Readers

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

“Treasure your time as a local news reporter. Your community reporting is likely to have a greater effect on readers than anything else you will ever write, no matter where your journalism career may take you.” – Bruce DeSilvia in “The Straight Scoop: An Expert Guide to Great Community Journalism”

I write this article, my very last as news editor at the Sentinel, with sadness but also thankfulness—thankfulness for the last three years and for all that lies ahead as I pursue other career opportunities. While I won’t be moving away (this is my home, I hope, for the rest of my life), I do know that I will miss the regular interactions with readers and interviewees alike.

I spent most of December trying to decide how to describe these last three years and three months (or 166 editions of the Sentinel) of my life in a way that would capture just how honored I am to have been in this job, but even as I edit this one last time before we print, I don’t know if my words will suffice.

This job has been educational and mentally challenging, heartwarming and at times gut-wrenching, joyful and frustrating, and eye-opening in the best possible sense.

As I pause to reflect, three types of articles I have especially enjoyed working on stand out: local hot topics, big societal issues, and fascinating people and their accomplishments.

When I say local hot topics, I mean government news, opinions and perspectives about that news, and times when various public wrongdoings need to be brought to light. These articles might include facts and evidence, summaries of ordinances and interpretations of laws, explanations from elected officials and government employees, and opinions from citizens.

Whether covering the school zone traffic cameras, the Dade County Community Forest, D.R. Horton, or the elections building plans, I felt it important to not just cover the facts and figures but also include an array of opinions from circumspect citizens whenever possible. While one person’s opinion may or may not be worth much, the conglomerate from a cross-section of the community rounds out our view of the situation in question.

As for big societal issues, I have deeply enjoyed inspecting national issues through a local lens. Just a few of these topics that stand out to me are:

• Addiction, treatment, and recovery stories
• Mental illness (a topic without one clear path forward)
• The housing crisis (another one without an easy solution)
• The problem and cost of waste and ways to improve Dade’s waste cycle

Lastly, writing about humans—their life stories and accomplishments of every size—will always bring me joy. I’ve interviewed delightful young people with big aspirations and bright futures ahead, and I’ve interviewed our elders who are full of wisdom and a lifetime of tales. Each one has taught me (and I hope our readers) something and broadened my view of the world.

These stories are why all the rest of it matters. They are why we want our society to flourish. They are why we care about what our town looks like in 50 years and why government decisions matter. The accomplishments of students are why covering the schools and school board meetings matters. Lives improved, changed, or saved are why it’s important to report on the pillars of society. All of these stories highlight why people chose to call this place home.

Other topics I’ve enjoyed covering are the start of new businesses, the tourism sector, schools and education, and stories related to our beautiful natural setting.

While accidents, fires, and scandals aren’t exactly enjoyable to feature, they are also part of the fabric of our local history. Many weeks, you’ll see that the front page features tragedy, government projects, personal achievements and stories, and community events all side by side—a snapshot of the breadth of life’s experiences.

DeSilvia, whom I quoted above, encouraged reporters with this 1916 quote from William Allen White (editor of the Emporia Gazette):

“When the girl at the glove-counter marries the boy in the wholesale house, the news of their wedding is good for a forty-line wedding notice, and the forty lines in the country paper gives them self-respect. When in due course we know that their baby is a twelve-pounder named Grover or Theodore or Woodrow, we have that neighborly feeling that breeds real democracy. When we read of death in that home we can mourn with them that mourn…If you could take the clay from your eyes and read the little paper as it is written, you would find all of God’s beautiful, sorrowing, struggling, aspiring world in it, and what you saw would make you touch the little paper with reverent hands.”

To every person who gave me an idea for an article, told me about a friend or family member’s achievement, offered a thoughtful opinion (even if you feared being judged for it), shared your expertise with me and our readers, or provided important details, thank you. I quite literally could not have done this job without you.

Also, to all of the other writers who fill up the rest of the Sentinel’s pages, thank you. You might not be a paid staff member, but you are most certainly part of the Sentinel’s team. Without your contributions, this weekly sketch of our community would be incomplete.

That’s enough words for now spent on romanticizing our small town newspaper, don’t you think? Dear reader, I hope you’ve enjoyed my articles over the last three years, but I can confidently say that I enjoyed writing them even more.