It's a mission statement

I work in a tough business right now. The main gripe I always here, especially in a small community like Brighton, is we only print the bad news. Ironic because were always the ones getting the bad news - layoffs, cutbacks, closures, furloughs - you name it. My days are frustrating, exhilarating and depressing - it's a lot like watching a Rockies game. Everyday I look at a dwindling amount of staffers. Our newsroom used to bustle. Now, more often than not, we bristle, wondering how many less we can do with. I lead a team of passionate, driven reporters. A few of us are journalism lifers - this is all we know. And there are a couple of us who could pack up tommorrow, continue in a different walk of life and be completely successful. Many of the people in my office haven't had a raise in a year or two, they sat through the anxiety of an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to sell our group of papers and they did it with a unbelievable amount of cheer and good humor even admidst the anxiety. It is challenging to work day-to-day in a career where its future is in doubt. I'm 30 years old and I planned on doing this my whole life. Clearly there is a dilemna there because I still have a lot of time left. This must be how the VCR repairman feels. Yes, there will always be a need for newsgathering but I've never wanted to be a blogger or television talking head or a backpack journalist, I've only wanted to be a newspaper man.
This is all not meant to be a sob story for newspapers. I don't think many people will buy that.I won't demand any candlelight vigils. Quite the opposite, I think more than a few people think the business as a whole is getting exactly what it deserved. For too long, newspapers sat on their high horses as king of the world. It was our pomposity and lack of ability to recognize the changing market that has left us where we are. There will be no tears when newspapers are gone. Sure, there might be a bad feeling for a minute or two, kind of like throwing a pair of ratty, but beloved shoes away, but folks will get over it. Again, I say none of this for sympathy but, more than a few times in my daily travels, I get asked how we are grappling with the struggles that come with this business. Over the past few weeks, I've tried to take it back to the basics for myself - just trying to tell stories, share people's lives. I've been surprised how refreshing it is. It's reminded me what this business is all about. I'm naive like that, eschewing the budget numbers and still believing that if we told the stories that mattered, everything else would fall into place. I don't think we, and by that I mean our community papers, are going anywhere. As a matter of fact, when the dust settles, I think the small papers that cater to their community with stories about 60th anniversary announcements, free obituary postings and pictures from the school play will endure.
Hope you don't mind the ramblings of a old, young newspaper man. And if you know how we save this business, let me know.