A tribute to Editor Jim Smith
Jim Smith says goodbye to The Daily Democrat. Here's a look back at his time there
For the past 27 years Jim Smith has served as editor at The Daily Democrat, keeping the city of Woodland and surrounding communities informed.
Smith has been editor of The Democrat since 1994 and last month announced he would be retiring to take more time for himself and his family as well as continue new writing projects.
“I’ve enjoyed my 27 years at The Democrat,” Smith said of his pending departure. “I’ve learned a lot about Woodland, Yolo County, and its people, but there comes a time to slow down, spend more time with the family and pursue new writing opportunities.”
Smith’s journey to retirement started long before he received the editor title.
Smith has been writing for newspapers since high school and later served as the editor of his student newspaper at Idaho State University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in journalism in 1978. He has been writing professionally since 1980, getting his start at the Fort Bragg Advocate-News in Fort Bragg, a sister paper to The Daily Democrat.
From Fort Bragg, Smith joined The Democrat first as a reporter covering Woodland city government and education, and later as the city editor. He spent three years at The Democrat before taking on his first editor role at the Ukiah Daily Journal in Ukiah, another sister paper, from 1990 to 1994. It was this experience that eventually brought him back to Woodland to serve as editor, a position he’s held ever since.
Over his 41-year career, Smith has earned awards for news writing, editorial writing, column writing, photography and newspaper design.
Upon his retirement, Smith and his family plan to continue living in Woodland.
A mentor to many
Throughout the years Smith has mentored many young reporters who got their start in journalism at The Democrat.
Fresh out of their college journalism programs, Smith has provided an environment that fosters growth — growth in their writing, growth in their communication skills and growth in their personal lives.
This is because not only was Smith available to answer questions on proper Associated Press style and interview etiquette, he was not afraid to share his life experiences with budding journalists.
For many former reporters, this is what they remember about Smith. When they had a question about how to best pay off their debt or where to get the best doughnuts in town — a topic he tackled at length in a 2015 column, naming Donut Star the victor — Smith offered life advice that people carried with them beyond the walls of The Democrat office.
He has also been known to come to the rescue. Many young reporters asked for his help to jump start their cars, showing up in his blue Honda or white station wagon before that, jumper cables at the ready.
Smith is aware that “life happens” and takes that into account when interacting with staff and any issues that come up. “Health comes first” is another phrase Smith has coined often, knowing the newspaper business comes with certain stressors that are absent from other professions. There have been some tears in the newsroom over the years, but Smith passes on a “don’t sweat the small stuff” philosophy, emphasizing that mistakes should be seen as learning experiences and not as the end of the world.
Connecting with the community
For many new Daily Democrat reporters, one of the most frequent questions they are asked while on assignment is “where’s Jim?”
The answer is often that “he’s around” as Smith is a fixture at community events, even if he is not the one responsible for an article. He can be seen taking photographs or video for the Democrat’s social media channels.
Smith is a Woodlander, through and through, and he’ll likely continue to be a fixture in the city during his retirement.
Over the years, Smith has embraced different ways to engage with the community.
When “little free libraries” became popular, Smith followed suit with his own personal collection of literature. He positioned a milk crate out one of the windows of The Democrat’s downtown office, filled with a variety of books.
It was around this time that each morning Jim would display that day’s paper — divided into A and B sections — on a different office window.
Smith has embraced new technology, including the rise of online news. In 2004, Smith wrote about “a new, deeper and more dynamic Web site for The Daily Democrat” one that would link “readers around the world with Woodland’s hometown newspaper.”
There have been countless examples of technological changes in the newsroom. Smith has been a part of many of them, including the use of social media to connect with the community.
There have been several iterations of Smith’s “Morning Report” where he recaps overnight news across Yolo County via The Democrat’s Facebook page. These reports — lasting around five minutes — often received around 2,000 views online.
After a hiatus, these video updates returned with the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
A pandemic pivot
Using a tripod, Smith moved his video updates outside the Daily Democrat office, guiding the community through constantly changing health and safety guidelines.
Yolo County issued its first of many shelter-in-place orders on March 18, 2020. Smith was at the forefront of these changes, which at the time people thought would be temporary.
As a newsroom leader, Smith had to shift from being a few feet from his editorial staff, to again embracing technology to communicate with them from a distance. Through it all Smith never wavered, ordering Daily Democrat branded masks for reporters and procuring necessary paperwork to deem his staff “essential.”
A few months after the county’s shelter-in-place order was issued, Smith faced another change: the moving of The Daily Democrat office.
Established in 1857, The Democrat had been located at 711 Main St., since the late 1980s. The new offices in the Odd Fellows Building at 725 Main St., are less than 60 feet away. The move was announced in July.
Smith quickly made himself at home at the new office, filling the walls with framed issues of The Democrat from year’s past as well as maps and renderings of Yolo County.
Smith will most likely pop into the office during his retirement, offering news tips or just a friendly “hello” to those left to “hold down the fort” as he’s often said.
Looking ahead
Asked his plans for retirement, Smith couldn’t come up with a concrete answer.
Spending more time with his family is a given, but as for what he’ll do with his newfound free time, it could be a variety of things.
Perhaps he’ll write another novel. He is a published author of the book “Dead Cat Alley,” under the name James Chatfield. Maybe he’ll embrace technology once again, bringing his writing online somehow.
Whatever path he takes, Smith has expressed that he’ll still be around, remaining a fixture in the Woodland community.