Jane Howard
Gracious readers, with a touch of sadness I am writing to let you know that after six years as a writer for the Cook County News-Herald, I am moving on. I am returning to my previous career in the field of psychology and moving to Onamia, Minnesota to work as a psychologist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
It will be hard to leave Lake Superior, this community, and my job at the Cook County News-Herald. I have learned so much in the last six years. Covering many of the local governmental boards on a regular basis has challenged, confused, informed, and entertained me (and hopefully my coverage has challenged, informed, and entertained you as well). I have been so enriched by all the people I have come to know – elected officials, government employees, community members. I have had the privilege of attending special events, listening to stimulating presentations, and witnessing historic events. I have had fun interviewing people doing fascinating things.
I have always been interested in people’s stories. The worlds of psychotherapy and newspaper writing might seem far apart, but I think they are very similar in some respects. In both careers, I have listened to people’s stories, trying to understand how the same set of facts can lead to very different conclusions and to help others see things from a variety of perspectives. In my work as a therapist, I remember listening to family members describe the same incident one at a time and realizing that they could each be completely telling the truth but tell a completely different story. The situation in public affairs seems much the same.
I have made mistakes along the way. I have misheard people’s statements and misunderstood certain details of complex issues. People have been angry with me for bringing too much attention to things they didn’t want anyone to make a big deal about, for not casting more doubt on what some people were up to, or for not presenting enough of what they wanted people to hear.
My intentions have been good – despite what some who have been angry with me may think, I have a very strong drive to do a really good job, and that means bringing people a variety of perspectives even if I don’t agree with them. I have tried to follow the advice of Editor Rhonda Silence in regard to presenting the facts without editorializing – she likes to quote a phrase attributed to Joe Friday of TV’s Dragnet, who is remembered as saying (but who actually never said), “Just the facts, ma’am.” It was always interesting when people assumed I stood on a certain side of an issue because of how I had written about it when I really didn’t stand there at all.
In the midst of controversy, I have appreciated the application of Minnesota Nice in regard to my coverage of community issues that have sparked controversy and division. I’m sure some of the people who have been unhappy with what I’ve written have kept their mouths shut, but even those who have not have been very, very polite in expressing their displeasure, and for that I am grateful.
One thing that has become very difficult for me as I have covered public affairs in Cook County has been voting. At the last election, I had covered the issues and the candidates’ perspectives to such an extent that I understood where everyone stood and could see the good reasons they had for standing there – and thus left numerous votes blank because I couldn’t decide where I myself stood. I think that might be good, however; I hope it means I have listened well.
A lot of small decisions go into writing a news article. Every time I attended a governmental meeting, I would sift through a lot of different topics and decide which ones I really thought the public needed to know about or would want to know about. I often sat at my computer and asked myself, “Who would want to know about this?” If it was you, know that I wrote it for you.
The articles that were the most fun to write were the special features. I have been able to go to a lot of fun places, talk to a lot of fun people, some of them in far-away places, and do a lot of fun things, like bouncing around in a giant U.S. Forest Service pickup with a bunch of Forestry personnel, bushwhacking into a proposed treatment area in the middle of the woods, or plowing through four feet of untouched snow with Stan Tull to see if his snowmobile tracks would keep his vehicle from getting stuck. I have had fun writing about pet bull calves and honeybees and bedbugs and vintage Airstreams setting sail for England from the back roads of Lutsen.
I am thankful and somewhat amazed that so many people await our weekly edition with such anticipation and consume its pages so voraciously. It has been a privilege to be a member of the Cook County News-Herald staff and to take part in the very important role this newspaper plays in our community and in our world.
Best wishes to you all!
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