Publisher's Notebook; Shooting at the Capital Gazette hits home for the Frontiersman

“I feel like I should be helping cover it. But I’m a mess” Capital Gazette photojournalist Paul Gillespie is quoted as saying about the shootings at the building where the newspaper he works for resides. Gillespie was in the building this Thursday when a lone gunman opened fire at the newspapers office killing five of his co-workers. As he curled up in a ball under the desk of a fellow employee he kept thinking, “I can’t believe I’m going to die today.” He stated on his twitter account.

Community newspapers are most comfortable covering the news and not being the news. It’s a position we never want to be in but Thursday the Capital Gazette was the lead in newspapers and other media across the nation. Reportedly the shooter whose name I won’t include in this column had a longstanding grudge against the Capital Gazette. I won’t speculate on the reasons why. Instead I will reflect on the fact that the people who endured this senseless act of violence were members of the community that they covered and members of our industry.

As group publisher for Wick Communications in Alaska every day I am proud of the dedication of our entire staff. There is no off button when working for a community newspaper. It becomes more of a lifestyle than a job. Its chaotic, stressful, fun and mostly a labor of love. Every department is as equally dedicated as the other. Every department has its own mission but shares a common goal. To bring you our readers the best product we can. Whether its delivering results for our marketing partners, the highest print quality for our print partners and readers, or the Frontiersman in the driveway of our subscribers. Our goal is to bring you the highest quality product. As soon as one edition is complied, printed and delivered. We begin working on the next edition. Each edition is different from the others but with one common goal. That goal is to compile an accurate daily history of the Mat-Su Valley.

At the core of what we do is the various stories we cover. No matter the category that our reporters cover, it draws in emotion. From Mat-Su Borough issues to High School sports stories to crime coverage. It has to be accurate, in-depth and relative. When we fall short we will receive phone calls, emails and even handwritten letters. Rarely do people shower us with complements when we do a job well done. It’s not expected. Criticisms range from typos to “advice” on how to we should’ve reported the story. We discuss every criticism we receive because we will always strive to be better.

Our journalists are mostly home grown or have been long term residents of the Valley or Alaska in general. Long time sports editor and recently promoted to news editor Jeremiah Bartz is a Palmer High School graduate. Tim Rockey who covers municipalities, schools, crime, and emergency services is also a graduate of Palmer High School. Jacob Mann who covers courts, events, and writes features is a Colony High graduate. We have a team of freelance writers who reside in the Mat-Su Valley as well. Just like the employees of Capital Gazette we are entrenched in our community. Our passion for covering news in the Mat-Su Valley is derived from the fact that we have a vested interest in the topics we cover.

When I say that our positions are more like a lifestyle than a job that conclusion comes from this fact. I receive emails and or text messages from members of our staff at times ranging from early mornings to late at night. Mostly when they are ‘off duty’. They are always thinking of ways to produce a better product. News doesn’t always happen between the hours of 8am to 5pm. One example last week involved reporter Tim Rockey. After putting a story to bed, he was on his way to practice for a local baseball team that he coaches. We were alerted to the fact that a skydiver landed in the Matanuska River. On a dime, Rockey pivoted his evening plans and went to the scene and covered the story.

When I read the headlines of stories that are covering the tragedy that had befallen the Capital Gazette. Headlines like “We are putting out a damn paper tomorrow”-Capital Gazette publishes despite attack or “I don’t know what else to do”: Grieving Capital Gazette journalists cover the massacre of their own newsroom. I’m not surprised that the surviving team wanted to keep working in fact I totally understand. I also know that they will cover and write their stories with tears in their eyes and extreme emotion weighing on their spirit. I am confident they will cover their story the way they have covered countless others and the way stories are written at community newspapers across the country. As fair and objective as they possibly can.

Our hearts and minds are with our comrades at the Capital Gazette as they wade their way through this unimaginable tragedy.