There Ya Go
I’ve opined before about the changing face of small-town newspapers, how costs have risen and reduced staff or shut papers down, and how the internet has delivered a gut-punch to all papers at varying levels.
The Headlight is not immune to all of this; it seems like putting out a weekly newspaper becomes more of a struggle each and every year. Last week while researching the archives for this week’s “Remember When” section, I stumbled across a 1996 advertisement for National Newspaper Week, which, by the way, is this very week.
The ad, which took up one-third of a page, included photos of Headlight employees at the time — all 10 of them.
Ten? Yes, 10! Now for some context. We have three staffers currently, and one of them usually works just four days out of the week.
Ten is a lot in any small business, but for us at the Headlight, it seems like a legion.
Of course, there was Seth, the leader of the pack; Dick Donaldson was a very adept sports/outdoors writer; and Kaye Mattis rounded out the newsroom staff (what I wouldn’t give to have to writers to boss around!). Also on the Headlight staff were Carol Strand, Cookie Cooreman, Terry DeBlieck, Val Lubben, Chris Schons, Lisa Sell (who started at the Headlight in 1975), and driver Tom Anderson.
These fine people did a total of seven different jobs — jobs that are now done by just three.
My point is, we have to do more with less. Granted, technology makes performing all these tasks much more easy, but still, it’s a daily handful.
These people also set the bar high. The Headlight has always been one of the best weeklies in this part of the state, and I now believe we are the best. Why? Because we’re dedicated and committed to what we do. Because we sometimes work seven days a week. Because we routinely put in 10-15 hours a day. Because — and this one’s just for me — we have no life.
And I’m fine with that. My life is the Headlight. Yes, I sometimes take a day off to visit my daughter in Watertown, SD. Yes, I leave early from time to time, either to go watch Natalie play soccer in Marshall or to grab some quality time with the dogs, which aren’t technically therapy dogs, but they somehow provide me with it.
I do have the luxury — from time to time — to control my own schedule, meaning I can come in a bit later, or leave a bit earlier, so working long days is no big deal. Plus, I love what I do, and you know what they say about loving what you do. Yes, attrition is a big deal in this business. When I started at the paper in Marshall at the age of 18 (when I still actually needed a comb) we had about 80 employees. Now, I don’t even think there are 10 people working there.
But we adapt and move on, because dying is not an option.
Maybe we should’ve run another National Newspaper Week ad this week like they did all those years ago. I can guarantee it wouldn’t take up a third of a page.
The eagle has fallen …
I’m sorry to report the eaglet that was rescued by Maria Schleppenbach-Grogan in September and was featured in a story in the Headlight has died. I was told “Pleasant” was euthanized because of how malnourished it was. Sad ending to an otherwise pretty cool story.
