I have been settling into a brand-new position as editor of a small-town weekly newspaper, after about 5 and a half years as a reporter-photographer for the paper in my home-town. The same man owns both papers, so it was more of a transfer within the same company. I now have about a ten-mile commute each way on a rural two-lane highway. Easier, I’m sure, than what people who live in a city and drive across town to work deal with. It’s not bad at all this time of year, although it isn’t nearly as convenient as walking out my back door and walking half a block to the office was. There are a few curves, however, and winter driving during a blizzard might be a bitch. Without going into any unnecessary detail, the promotion offer happened very suddenly, and after I accepted, I was a little apprehensive. I didn’t sleep for two nights afterward. But after the first edition went out, I breathed easier and now I sleep like a rock. I am not nervous about my ability to do my job, but I was a little nervous about leaving what had grown to be “my baby,” with a stranger. But since they are sister papers, we do share crossover material. And I spend every Wednesday morning in the old office where the papers are both paginated, (A skill I have yet to learn.) So it’s like I still have visitation rights. My biggest problem will be to keep my nose out of things there.(Of course I will offer advice if asked, or point out a mistake if asked to proofread.) But I have to leave it at that. Just because someone else might do things differently than I did, does not mean my way is the only correct way.
Now my focus has to be on my “new” baby. I am doing much of the same kind of work as I did as a writer at the other paper, but I am more free to make decisions. (within reason.) I will be covering a smaller community,about 700 people vs, 1,200, and this paper is in tabloid format where the other is a broadsheet. Much easier to fill a front page now, tho it might be harder at first to come up with content because I am not familiar with people and happenings. Since both papers are in the same county, I have written about a lot of things of countywide interest for both papers, so my byline is familiar, but I don’t know most of the readers over there. I’m getting there, tho.
