“Reporting the news is like being on the roller coaster of life all the time, a whirlwind of ups and downs. In most stories, you can find at least some positivity. In some cases. , the only silver lining is to identify problems and gaps and inform the community so people can step in to help, after all, fixing something you don't know is broken. you can't.”
For the past year, I have been living a dual life as a reporter and a student.
I started my master's degree at King's College University in Halifax last summer. Because most of our programming is remote, I've been able to continue reporting news for Coast Reporter, albeit part-time. Since then, I have written nearly 40,000 words in my master's program and nearly 200 articles in newspapers. That may seem like an exaggeration, but it is true.
It took me a while to realize that it was time to step back from the press, at least for now. Local news is critical, but there have already been thousands of layoffs in the media industry across the country since the beginning of 2024. This has led to an increase in the number of stories that don't get reported, or don't get reported at all. At Coast Reporter, we are dedicated to sharing stories big and small about the people and events that impact and shape our communities.
Here are some lessons I've learned since taking my first newspaper job in 2017. Reporting the news is like being constantly caught up in the roller coaster of life. It's a whirlwind of ups and downs. In most stories you can find at least some positive elements. In some cases, that ray of hope is simply identifying problems and gaps and informing the community so people can step up to help. After all, you can't fix something you don't know is broken. Some days the silver lining is easy to find, and other days it's just a glimmer. On days like these, I like to find solace in the warm art and community sections of the newspaper. There's always something good happening.
This is a thank you to everyone who has shared their stories with me and Coast Reporter readers. Over the past three years, it has been a pleasure to help in any way I can. I'm looking forward to turning the pages of the Coast Reporter – I'm still on the Coast. Like many people who ended up here by luck, chance, or circumstance, I'm in no hurry to leave.
