I don’t get a lot of “real” mail these days — everything online, you know how it is — but recently, I had an envelope waiting for me on my desk.
It was addressed to The Dalles Chronicle, using an old address, but someone at the post office took the time to write our new address on the envelope and send it on.
Inside were three letters, all from Boy Scouts attending camp in Dufur and going for their communication merit badge. One of the criteria? Write a letter to someone.
Why these boys picked our newspaper, I don’t know — they all signed with addresses near the Seattle area — but I’m glad they did. And because the newspaper is my favorite topic — and because I think it would be fun to respond by sending this page to them — I am going to answer here.
Dear Editor,
My name is Jason and I’m doing the communication merit badge and one of the requirements is to write a letter to someone. What do you do in your job? Also, what is your favorite and least favorite part about your job? How long have you had your job? On average, how long do you work? What do you do in your free time and my last question, do you like Harry Potter. Thank you.
Sincerely, Jason A.
Hi Jason — thank you for writing. As managing editor, I do a lot of different tasks every day, like working with reporters on their stories, making sure our website is updated with current information (recently, it’s been a lot of wildfire coverage) and editing filed copy (when reporters are finished with their stories, they save them to a shared file on our computers so I know they’re ready for print). I also write my own stories as time allows.
On deadline day, I do a lot of proofreading and trying to stay on top of any problems that might arise as we put the paper together. I also help people with obituary submissions. I’ve even delivered newspapers to subscribers who didn’t get that week’s copy.
My favorite part of my job is seeing the newspaper come together each week — we start out with ideas, and those turn into stories that are placed onto a page. It’s like a puzzle. I also like meeting people and hearing their stories. My least favorite part is monitoring comments we receive on social media because people are not always nice and it feels like I’m babysitting grownups who should know better.
I’ve worked at the newspaper for 13 and a half years. I’ve been managing editor since late June 2023. I work at least 40 hours each week. In my free time, I like to read, and yes, I do like Harry Potter.
Trisha
Dear Editor,
My name is James. I am a First Class Scout in BSA and for the communication merit badge, I want to ask you some questions about editing. For starters, what is editing like? What do you do? Next, what education does it take to be an editor? Do you enjoy your job? What is the work environment like? And finally, what was your favorite project / work you have done? Thank you for reading this, hope to get a response soon.
Sincerely, James P.
Hi James — These are great questions. Editing is mostly about keeping things consistent in the newspaper (like how we abbreviate words or use capital letters and punctuation). I edit everything that comes in, whether it’s an article by a reporter or a news release from a community member. However, all our reporters edit stories after they are placed on the page before we send the newspaper to press as well. The more eyes, the better!
I talked about what I do in my job above, but the short answer is: Lots of different things. I like that every day is different. It keeps things interesting. In college, I majored in English and minored in history; at our office, we have had journalism, education and political science majors — mostly, to do this job you need to be able to communicate (writing, speaking) and be curious. I do enjoy my job, very much, and am proud to be part of a team that is a reliable news source for the Gorge region.
Our work environment is generally pretty quiet because we spend a lot of time writing. It can get loud when we’re bouncing ideas off each other, helping people who come into the office, or interviewing someone for a story. And sometimes it’s stressful, especially when something important is happening in our community (like all the wildfires this summer) and we have to work quickly to keep the public informed.
My favorite project is a reoccurring one — I feature “Newsworthy Pets” in the newspaper. I get photos from pet owners and sometimes little write-ups, and then I pretend these pets are doing human activities like monitoring traffic, reading a book or doing exercises. It makes me laugh.
Trisha
Dear Editor,
Hello, my name is Michael. I am a Star Class Scout from Troop 336 and was interested in the camp interview that was on the website for Camp Baldwin. I had some questions for you as an editor. Like, how did you get this job, or how many hours have you put into editing? Thanks for reading this.
Best regards, Michael B.
Hi Michael — if you like interviewing people and learning new things, you might enjoy being a reporter.
I became managing editor last year, after the position opened unexpectedly. At that time, I was lifestyle editor, which means I was in charge of putting together our weekly community section — things like history pages, entertainment updates, and columns. As managing editor, I still do that, just with the entire paper instead of one section. I had to put in many years as a reporter before becoming editor. I don’t think I could do this job without that experience because it taught me the steps that go into putting a paper together each week.
I put in many hours of editing. Most of what I do is read other people’s stories and make sure they get into the final print copy of the newspaper. Just like you and your fellow scouts’ letters.
Trisha
Commented