ClarionCall.Com

Search ClarionCall.com


The people's choice in Livingston County... and beyond!
You Are Here:
Home»10th Anniversary Edition»Readers' Comments»Kirk House
Go To:
Lake and Valley Clarion NewspaperGenesee Country MagazineClarion Communications

Readers Comments:
The Joy of Geese Reporting

"Can't you guys find any real news? I'm running geese on the front page!" I could understand Corrin's point. But you can't make news happen when it isn't there, and for a spell when July ends and August begins, everything seems to go into suspended animation.

Besides, hunting is an important activity in our parts. DEC plans on the goose harvest ARE news (though not, by preference, front-page news).

Sometimes it's geese, and sometimes it's murder. Sometimes you're leaning on a fence, taking pictures of cows, and sometimes you're chasing to catch up with the police. Anything can happen, and the people need to know about it - good and bad.

When people drop down their dollar for a Clarion, they expect the same thing they get when they pick up a New York Times. They want reporters who have scented out what's important and what's interesting. They want reporters who have a context for the story, and can write it in a way that's honest, intelligible, and engaging.

Local government board meetings are almost always sparsely attended. Most of the members take those thankless jobs because they're community-spirited and self-sacrificing. Still, there's always a temptation to get sloppy if there's no audience. A local paper puts the action and discussion in front of the people.

I got to cover some important stories for the Clarion: enhanced 911, election upsets in Lima, death in Livonia, a possible move for the Lakeville campus, declining interest in agricultural education, and even permits for fast-food places. I was proud to be trusted with stories like that.

But what I remember most vividly is riding the roads of the circulation area. That's how I met Tom and Marilyn Ryan, and their mini-herd of Haflingers. That's how I got to the American House in Lima and sampled their far-famed soup. That's how I came to spend an evening in the Leicester hills, watching Charles the Black and his comrades brush up their swordplay.

I loved the sun on the hay rolls, the horses and deer in the fields, the half-forgotten depots, and the hundreds and hundreds of geese stitching lines across the autumn sky. You never get to know a community as well as you do when reporting on it, and Livingston County is a great community to know.

One day I came tearing up the driveway from behind the office and met Corrin standing on the street. He jumped into my car, we swapped cameras and film on the fly, and we buzzed off to where I was dropping him for his story on the way to my story. Corrin gave me a big smile as we hustled along. "This is exciting, isn't it?" he said.

Darn right, Corrin. I loved every minute of it. It wasn't all geese, and some stories were ghastly sad. On the whole, though, it was glorious fun.

Kirk House
Bath, N.Y.

Back to Comment's Index

According to WebCounter you are the person to answer the Clarion Call
©2000 Clarion Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This site designed by Clarion Communications.