Meet the news breakers

THE most important part of working at a regional newspaper is knowing your community like no other.

But as the daily demands shift with the immediacy of online, the volume of spin doctors’ emails and the tendency to communicate via a keyboard, the way in which journalists get to know their patch has also changed.

However the fact remains you never get to know a person – or a community – better than when you’re looking them in the eye.

And for that reason in coming weeks you’ll see an increase in Bulletin boots on the ground in a suburb near you.

Our reporters have each been assigned a council division as a geographical area of the city to champion.

This is to ensure we know what’s going on in all of our areas from Kelso to Kirwan, Douglas to Deeragun, and of course, our regional editor John Andersen will continue to jaunt across our rural communities with his Talk of the North column.

In coming weeks, we’ll introduce you to your local reporter and tell you how to get in contact with them.

But in the meantime, I’m assigning myself one of the most important jobs of my career.

Having arrived at the Bulletin in the middle of a state election campaign three months ago, I heard what politicians thought mattered to the people of the North.

I’ve met the Mayor, council staff, local chief executives, business owners and some community groups, and I’ve learnt a lot about what they think makes Townsville tick.

And while the perspectives of our leaders are important, journalists – especially editors – all too often perpetuate the mistake we so often accuse our politicians of committing: inhabiting a bubble.

And so begins my quest to meet 100 readers in 100 days.

I believe everyone has a unique story to tell and that people have an inherent curiosity to listen to the tales of others.

So if you read the Bulletin, have a yarn you’re willing to share and don’t mind telling me what you like and don’t like about Townsville and its local rag, then let’s catch up.

And if I stop you in the street, or in the supermarket, or interrupt some leisure activity you are involved in to find out more … please forgive me.

To take part in the series, email me at jenna. cairney@ news. com. au or phone me on 4722 4426.