Greetings Columbus —
Last Wednesday was national hug a newsperson day. To me, that’s a little over the top. Doesn’t most everyone need and deserve a hug?
What reporters and editors and most everyone who works for a living wants is just a little understanding. That’s one of the reasons from time to time here we offer up a window into our world — how we gather the news, how we work to verify information, how we get story ideas and how we get it all to you.
We take you behind the scenes to show you, as we often put it, how the sausage gets made. By doing that, you gain an understanding of what we do and how we do it. You can actually see what we do right before your very eyes, blowing away any misconceptions about fake news or anything else.
This morning, we are doing that again and have a video that shows you an interview from last week as we covered the difficult story of a kayaker who died in the Driftwood River. The interview was conducted the morning of Thursday, April 5, just as authorities started looking for Keygan Matlock.
In the video, The Republic’s Julie McClure is interviewing Jet Quillen, a conservation officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division, and Republic photographer Mike Wolanin is shooting the video. Take a look —
You’ll notice that Julie is asking smart and relevant questions and getting some good information to build on.
But if you read the story that appeared in the paper the day after the interview (Officers search for missing man), her work was far from done. She talked to lots of other people. For example, she found neighbor Sasha Rose, who saw Keygan kayaking on the river. She talked to Carson Yoder, Keygan’s stepfather. And she contacted other officials who had a hand in the search.
Moreover, she was on the scene, allowing her to report with her eyes and ears and provide storytelling description and context well beyond what could be culled from phone interviews done in the newsroom.
The results of the legwork and brain work were detailed stories that relied on multiple sources to let you know what was going on.
Thanks for listening.
Here’s what else you need to know today —
450 North brewing up bigger restaurant, more jobs.
The Republic’s Mark Webber is writing about beer and wine. Mark reports: Simmons Winery and 450 North Brewing will construct a new 8,192 square-foot building west of its current facilities to house a new restaurant, tasting and brewing facility, co-owner David Simmons said. Construction on the project, which will cost $1.3 million to $1.6 million, is expected to get underway in July. As an added bonus Hazy Potter and The Brewer’s Carbstone is being released by 450 North later this week. Tuesday’s Republic.
She’s got a passion for teaching and students.
For more than two decades, Columbus East High School teacher Michelle Burnett has changed the lives of kids who need help the most. This is what one student said about the 2018 recipient of the Edna Folger Outstanding Teacher Award: “She is one of the best people I have ever met. She is so selfless.” Story here.
Where They Stand: 6th District congressional candidates.
This is one crowded field. Six Democrats and five Republicans want to run in the November election. First they need to win the May 8 primary. Find out who is running and where they stand on the issues by clicking this link.
Do it now: Register to vote.
Bartholomew County, if you want to vote in the May 8 primary election, today’s the last day to register. Pick up a form at the voter registration office on the first floor of the Bartholomew County Courthouse, 234 Washington St. from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. In-person registration forms must be submitted by 5 p.m. today in the courthouse. Indiana residents with a valid state driver’s license or a state-issued identification card can submit a new voter-registration application or update existing voter-registration information online. Visit indianavoters.com and submit your information by midnight.
Gulp. Facebook sending billions of notices today. Will you get one?
The Associated Press is reporting: Get ready to find out if your Facebook data has been swept up in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Starting today, the 87 million users who might have had their data shared will get a detailed message on their news feeds. Facebook says most of the affected users (more than 70 million) are in the U.S. In addition, all 2.2 billion Facebook users will receive a notice titled “Protecting Your Information” with a link to see what apps they use and what information they have shared with those apps. Story here.
Today’s Instapic: Snow’s on the ground today but the 70s are coming!
Have a great day. Send your story ideas to [email protected].
