My life in journalism has, in a way, been multi-media, just not all at the same time.
First, I was a young Boy Scout in Little Rock who became fascinated by his scoutmaster's camera at a summer camp session at what was then called Cove Creek Scout Camp near Greenbrier. All I knew is it had dials and he could change the lenses on it. He was kind enough to sit down with me one day during camp and explain how the aperture, shutter speed and film sensitivity all worked to create an image.
Correction
This column has been corrected to include the correct spelling of the town of Greenbrier.
By junior high, I had saved up money and with the help of my parents bought my first camera, a Miranda brand film camera (there wasn't any other kind back then). That started me in the world of photography. In the ninth grade, one of the most consequential people of my life, a high school journalism teacher named Margaret Sorrows, picked me as a photographer for the high school newspaper.
Within a couple of years, the state's high school press association awarded me photographer of the year honors, further sparking my interest in the work. At Arkansas State University, I intended to focus, so to speak, on photojournalism, but a professor who taught news writing, Marlin Shipman, suggested I had some skills in that area and encouraged me to broaden my notion of journalism. To my surprise, I ended up as editorial page editor, managing editor then, finally, editor of the ASU Herald.
In Hot Springs, where editor Melinda Gassaway was kind enough to hire me out of college, I continued working at photography, news coverage and column writing. Then one day, The Associated Press installed an odd-looking contraption in our newsroom for delivering graphics. The tiny-screened, rectangular machine had a logo on it of a small, colorful fruit. It was the first Apple computer I'd ever seen. Before long, I was creating graphics using the Apple's software. By today's standards, my artwork was awful, but the technology to produce it there in the newsroom was astonishing.
Along came a process called pagination, in which newspaper pages were "built" in computers rather than physically "pasted up" atop light tables. Desktop computers replaced old mainframe video display terminals, and we all started to become computer "experts."
The march of technology and opportunity within the newspaper business has been amazing, and it continues. Indeed, while we still publish on newsprint, the business has broadened its delivery of news coverage and other content to keep up with the rest of the world's transition to electronic consumption. Our audiences rely on newsprint, websites, smartphone apps, social media and other mechanisms to receive their news.
It's not all in written form. Take, for example, podcasting. Early this year I launched a podcast called "Speaking of Arkansas" with an interview with the governor. I've posted interviews with Benton County Judge Barry Moehring, advocates of an arts corridor in Fayetteville and University of Arkansas Chancellor Joe Steinmetz.
Coming soon are planned interviews with Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder about the possible jail expansion, a talk with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and a visit with UA professor Kevin Fitzpatrick about Northwest Arkansas' homeless people and efforts to respond to their needs.
My and other great podcasts (outdoors, entertainment, sports, etc.) can always be found on our website at nwadg.com/podcast or find them on other popular podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iTunes or Spotify.
Do you want to recommend someone or a topic for the Speaking of Arkansas podcast? Do you have a question for one of the upcoming guests? Let me know at [email protected] or give me a call at (479) 872-5026.
I'm no Paul Harvey or Larry King, Adam Carolla or Kyle Kellams, but everything has to start somewhere, just as with that camera I bought back in junior high. Give me a listen as I visit with people right here in Northwest Arkansas about important and interesting issues.
Commentary on 04/21/2019