So far in my tenure as the editor of your community newspaper I have found there is just not enough time to cover everything.
Trust me, I’ve tried, ask my wife how many messages of “I’m running late”she has received over the last nine months and 37 issues (It is true what they say — happy wife, happy life).
The news business is not just 9-5, Monday through Friday.
I could work seven days a week, 12-hour days and still miss an event in the three communities I cover for the weekly newspaper. And that’s with the generous help of freelance contributors, and the staff of our sister paper the Post Independent pitching in.
Many events in Rifle, Silt and the Parachute/Battlement Mesa area happen on the weekend, especially Saturdays.
I have found myself working seven days a week, trying to get photos and stories to fill the pages of the Citizen Telegram each and every Thursday.
After a discussion with my supervisor two weeks ago, I’ve decided to try a schedule change, moving from Monday through Friday to Tuesday through Saturday.
Although I might miss a few things on Mondays, with help from the PI staff I plan to continue the best coverage possible in the future.
Last week was my first trial run on the new schedule.
It is definitely going to take some time to get used to; each day I had to remind myself it was actually a day later in the week then I was used to.
One of the biggest challenges so far is trying to set up interviews and work with everyone on their schedule. I’ve had to explain to several story sources why Monday doesn’t work for me.
I would like to ask the community to bear with me as I get my new schedule down, and figure out the best days for interviews to help streamline the new process.
With Tuesdays and Wednesdays filled with writing, meetings and production deadlines, that leaves three days to pack in interviews and photos.
There will be a lot of advanced planning and trying to arrange times to sit down for interviews Thursday, Friday and even Saturday.
With the snow melting and the warm weather slowly beginning the shift in season, I am looking forward to covering more weekend events on a regular basis.
If you have a story idea or opportunity that might create a great photo for the pages of the CT don’t hesitate to reach out, or if you see me out in the community stop me and introduce yourself.