Background Info

This first entry on a new blog is a lot like my own life at the moment: Starting fresh, full of possibility and the potential for disaster, too.

I get this a lot: "You should write about that!" when I tell people stories about what I do. I am the education reporter for two small town newspapers. It is split between the two towns, but soon all that will change. I live in a state where the economy is in big trouble. It's the same old story, you know. Too dependent on one industry and the next thing you know presidential candidates are telling us we have to change, like we didn't already know that. So in a couple of weeks my primary newspaper will be shutting its doors on main street and moving to our sister offices two towns over. I cover both areas so it isn't as big a deal for me. It just means more driving. We just couldn't afford the rent on main street anymore.

For me, this job is new. I just moved over this way about three months ago. A long and complicated story there. I live with my sister and brother-in-law. For a year and a half I ran my own freelance writing and editing business. But it didn't pay the bills. Shortly after I moved in my sister plopped a classified ad in front of me. It was for a reporter position at a small town paper. "You're applying for this," she said. And I did. I worked as a reporter 10 years ago, but had since moved on to the corporate world. Then I became a victim of the aforementioned bad economy. Being a reporter again? Hmmmm. That was something I didn't think I'd do again, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. I call it a small town paper, but it is actually attached to a big company. Nationwide. Benefits, health care. I've been there five weeks.

As for the name of this little blog, I was talking with a friend of mine. She's a writer, but not a reporter. She just doesn't have that curiosity that I have. "Well at least you're making money again," she said. "I mean not like some of the magazine people, but good money for a lesser journalist."

This blog is dedicated to my fellow Lesser Journalists. May your pen always have ink, may the "E" on your keyboard always work, may your editor be cool and your co-workers fun.

Best Wishes to all,
TARB