Producing the Mitchell News-Journal each week is a daunting task. It takes a team of people working together toward a common goal, which is creating the best possible product for our readers and advertisers week in and week out.
It’s no secret I, as publisher and editor, receive most of the recognition – both the good and bad – concerning this newspaper. It may seem in the eyes of the community that I do most of the work, and trust me, I do a lot, a whole lot. But, the truth is there is no way I could do it all, and couldn’t if I wanted to.
Kelli Beam has been our marketing and advertising representative for more than a year now and she is doing a phenomenal job. She stepped into that position with no experience and replaced the beloved (and now retired) Cindy Lindsey. She took the proverbial bull by its horns and has exceeded any possible expectations anyone had when she began. She is invaluable to this paper and our advertisers. She is every publishers’ dream employee; she cares about this paper, how people react to its contents and is the epitome of a team player. She likes selling advertising and is good at it. She is concerned about our advertisers being satisfied with their ads and works tirelessly on their behalf as well as the paper’s.
Our reporter Cory Spiers is equally as integral to our continued existence and our quest to excel. He covers most of the meetings during which important (and often questionable) decisions are made. He loves Mitchell High School Athletics, has a firm grasp on what our readers want and expect from our product and does everything he can to meet or achieve those expectations. People often tell me they see me everywhere, and when they see me somewhere, Cory is likely being seen somewhere else.
As is the case with most small community newspapers, those who don’t work here are oftentimes just as important as those who do. Denise Harrison’s “Ask Denise” advice column is wildly popular among our readers, as is the weekly “Looking Back” articles submitted by the incredibly dedicated and passionate members of the Mitchell County Historical Society. The contributors at the county’s schools are vital to our being able to publish and promote events and the accomplishments of our students. Chris Pitman’s “Side View” column is synonymous with our sports coverage. The list goes on and on.
I mention how important these people are because the News-Journal was selected as Member of the Year at the recent Mitchell County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner. The Member of the Year is described as “a Chamber member that has demonstrated excellence in the provision of its particular product or service; who has experienced growth in sales, income or number of employees; and who has made significant contributions to the Chamber and the community.” I truly believe we have done this, but we couldn’t have without the help of some really smart, hardworking and dedicated people.
Brandon Roberts is publisher and editor of the Mitchell News-Journal. Email him at editor@mitchellnews.com or call him at 828-765-7169.