Nancy March, 67
Editor, The Reporter and Montgomery Media Lansdale, PA First journalism job: General assignment reporter, The Mercury, Pottstown, PA, and eventually editor. What are some of the most important lessons you have learned working in the news industry?
Working in journalism comes with responsibility and privilege. The responsibility is to make a difference in people’s lives and the community, regardless of audience size. Sharing relevant content with one person for one day has value. Have I written a story today that exposed a problem in my community? Have I offered a solution? Has my work caused someone to view an issue or situation with a new perspective or empathy towards others? Have I given a voice to the silenced, or have my words created a smile? That’s the responsibility – the privilege is in having that opportunity every day. What are your predictions for the future of news publishing?
News publishing has certainly changed during my career, but it has remained the same in ways I think help inform the future. People want to know what’s occurring in their schools and their town meetings. They want to know whose house is on fire, whether a car crash in their neighborhood caused severe injury, who scored a touchdown during the high school game and where they can volunteer or learn a new hobby. Newspapers and news Websites continue to be the most reliable source of local news and
civic engagement. People still turn to a news site to learn what’s occurring in their towns, whether local government, school boards, police news or sports. News sites are where they read about the personalities in their area and gain some perspective on local issues. It is also where the average person can have their say on a larger platform via letters to the editor and see their actions reflected when they become involved. I think news publishing is both critical to society and important in our daily lives. In one form or another, journalism has a future.