Rambling toward a goodby

Nothing like leaving one award-winning newspaper to join another.

As editor of the News-Register for the past year, I’ve had many privileges, but none I hold more dear than traveling to Austin and accepting the award for Best Newspaper in Texas in Division III earlier this year.

You’ll have to forgive me (Come to think of it, you don’t. OK, indulge me), but I got my first taste of the newspaper business at North Lake and the News-Register, so I’ve got a warm, fuzzy place for it in my heart.

But now I’m off to join the best four-year university newspaper in Texas and one of the top ten in the nation according to Columbia Press. Yep, you guessed it. It’s UTA. Who knew? UTA (a.k.a. the University of Total Apathy) houses deep in its bowels one of the best college newspapers in the nation.

So, I guess this is one of those classic transition periods tailor-made for one to do some reflection... Aw, man, do I hafta?

Ahhh, forget it. I’ll just talk about what I love. Let’s talk about newspapers.

(Editors note: This may be the time for all of you who expect this column to culminate in an actual point — you fools! — to check out now.)

Well, I’m a bit of a weirdo in the newspaper world. I happen to be much more interested in how the newspaper looks, and how that translates into your interest, dear reader, than the actual words themselves (some of you may immediately realize this if you’ve had the misfortune of reading some of my painful prose ... like this, come to think of it). Don’t get me wrong, newspapers don’t exist without the accurate, informative words that reporters commit to the page.

It’s just that, if left up to most writers, the paper would be just that... words. And more words. Seas of words. Epic, mythical oceans of it. You get the point.

Yuck. Would you want to wade through that? Me neither, so my job is pretty simple. I’m a page designer. I want to take all the reporters’ hard work and find an appealing way to display it so people might actually want to read it (imagine that).

Let me ask you, have you noticed any change in the look of the News-Register over the past months? Hopefully, as I and the staff improve, you have seen the newspaper become more and more visually appealing.

In other words, it should be looking better.

And while I’m off on tangents (Can anyone even SEE the point anymore?), I should mention a person who helped me immensely in this business. His name is Ron Johnson. He was the director of publications at Kansas State. He is extremely knowledgeable about newspaper design.

Ron just got fired. After 15 years as a leader in this industry. The reason?

Students were angry at the campus newspaper for perceived inequality in coverage, calling for his resignation and getting it. What’s amazing about this is not the lack of backbone on the part of university officials (though I understand Jell-O is interesting in sponsoring them), but the ignorance of those calling for his head.

As an editor, I think I can tell you a little secret. The buck stops here. If we aren’t doing our job, fire me, not our publications manager (I’m sure our wonderful publications manager Kathleen Stockmier will appreciate that advice). The job of the advisor is not to dictate content.
OK? OK. Whew, not a single point in sight. Hey, at least I’m consistent.
Well, this seems like the place in a rambling goodbye where I need to start getting specific.

Kathleen, I’ll always be grateful you adopted me. Lolly, stay feisty. Betsy, thanks for the edumacation. North Lake, stay beautiful (even while being waterproofed... again) and News-Register, stay nosy.

See you around.