Glimpse into the life of a reporter | Editor’s Notebook

Normally, I’m a pretty quiet guy when it comes to discussing my job outside of the work place. I’ve been in the journalism business for 20-plus years, and while there’s always something interesting happening at the paper, my usual outlook is to get the job done and move on to the many other aspects of my life. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate each day on the job to the fullest, and I always have ever since that first day at the Los Altos Town Crier as an entertainment section editor.

By Andy Nystrom • November 30, 2012 2:50 pm

Normally, I’m a pretty quiet guy when it comes to discussing my job outside of the work place.

I’ve been in the journalism business for 20-plus years, and while there’s always something interesting happening at the paper, my usual outlook is to get the job done and move on to the many other aspects of my life. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate each day on the job to the fullest, and I always have ever since that first day at the Los Altos Town Crier as an entertainment section editor.

However, since I’ve been editor of the Redmond Reporter, I’ve been talking about my job more than usual. Maybe it’s because I’ve been here just three months and it’s natural for someone to share something new in their life with others. Or maybe it’s because the things I’ve dealt with in the new job have affected me more than the other newspaper gigs.

There have been uplifting stories to cover like a team winning a state title. I got a taste of the schools scene when talking to parents about overcrowding at their childrens’ school. Gun control was another issue I spoke about with a mother whose daughter was accidentally killed at a party. I felt out of place and a bit nervous while speaking with a cross-country runner who suffered a gash on her leg while falling during a run and developed flesh-eating bacteria. Covering a 12-year-old boy’s funeral was the toughest story.

These are the things we do as journalists. We get briefly involved in others’ lives. It’s weird and uncomfortable at times, but it also helps us grow as people and learn new things each day. There are some times I don’t like covering certain stories, but we’ve got to be there. It’s our job.

So, when I took a stack of papers to my aunt and uncle’s home in Gresham, Ore., over the Thanksgiving holiday to visit with them and my parents, I opened up more than ever and shared some of the moments of my job here in Redmond.

We discussed the easy stories to cover and the hard ones. As I leafed through the pages of the Redmond Reporter, I relived those moments, often shaking my head at what it took to bring these stories to life.

I’m ready for what’s next.