HC Times-Reporter introduces New Editor
Lee introduces himself
By Lee Zion, Harrison County Times Reporter
Editor
OK, let’s get the boring stuff out of the way. Lee Zion has taken on the position of news editor at the Harrison County Times-Reporter. As such, he is taking on the responsibility not only of writing stories for the paper, but also, the work of looking at everything before it reaches print and making sure that everything is free of spelling errors, factual blunders and, in general, things that can get us sued.
The old joke is, that if you write that Lord Mayor So-and-So from Such-and-Such City is overly, um, friendly with his pets, you better have proof. If you don’t, Lord Mayor So-and-So will sue you for a lot of money. You will lose the case, and every day after that, people will sing to you: “How much is that doggie innuendo?”
The moral of the story is, I do not wish to cause doggie innuendo. So, now that I’ve gotten all of the boring stuff out of the way, it’s time to move on. Who am I and what do I do?
I remember an incident, almost 20 years ago, when I was hired on as a news editor in a similar position at a newspaper in North Carolina. As I settled into my desk, I realized I had no idea what I was supposed to do and how to go about it.
Suddenly, a pop song popped in my head: “Wind Him Up,” by Saga, from 1981. I thought of these lines: “Wind him up, he can’t stop, he keeps the time, a well-wound clock. That’s why he is second to none.”
I thought to myself, “That’s who I want to be.” I want to be the person who will never stop. The person who is second to none in his dedication to the job.
But before I had a chance to tell this to anybody, I figured I had better take a look at the lyrics, just to make sure I got it right. It’s a good thing I did: The Internet told me it’s actually a song about a gambling addict. That’s what he can’t stop. Not the ideal person to emulate.
And as for the part about him being the best? Well, here are the acutal lyrics: “Wind him up, he can’t stop He’s wound up tight just like the clock that’s winding its second hand down.”
OK, so I saved myself some humiliation. But when I thought about it, I realized the sentiment was still true. I still want to be the person who will never stop in pursuit of a story, in the pursuit of news.
And there is a lot of news waiting to be uncovered, in Harrison County and in Missouri Valley. For example, are the people in charge of the town, in charge of the county, good stewards with the money? Most of the time, the elected officials are. But no one ever calls attention to this. Here they are, doing honest work, and they never get any credit. It is my job to point this out, to make sure that the police officers, the firefighters, the rescue crews get the respect they deserve.
Meanwhile, if — and only if — a few not-so-nice people are out there, squandering public money, that is also my job. I remember, at the same newspaper in North Carolina, a case where a city-owned vehicle showed up in places where it shouldn’t have been. I never found out what the place was, but the allegations set off an investigations of town money being spent where it shouldn’t have been.
One of the things I recall from that case was my boss wouldn’t let me use my intended headline for the piece. I would have reused the title of a fairly recent (at the time) movie to describe the shenanigans: “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
I remember someone once describing the work of a journalist as an agitator — like the agitator in a washing machine. He’s the one who’s in the middle of everything and who gets the dirt, out.
So I will be the agitator, but only if actual dirt is involved. For everything else, I will be an enthusiastic supporter. If there is a plan for public improvements, I will champion it. If there are teachers who deserve recognition for their work, I will be there to write about them. If there is a church program that benefits the community, I will get behind it. I will never stop.
I arrived in Missouri Valley less than a week ago, so I don’t yet know who the players are. I vow to you that I will find out and tell their stories. To tell your stories. I want to show the people themselves, the way they want to be seen. The newspaper is the perfect venue for this.
The irony behind newspapers is people can find out what’s going on halfway around the world, in Iran or Ukraine, at the touch of a button. But they can’t find out what’s going on just down the street. Not without picking up a newspaper.
I see the mission of the Harrison County Times-Reporter to be the advocate for the reader. To cover the important events, like the Heritage Day event in Mondamin this weekend or the supermarket reopening in Woodbine. To get pictures of kids in the paper. And, just as crucial, to cover the more mundane events, such as a school bond issue. Not as exciting, but these affect your everyday life. And, of course, I will never stop.
You will find me at my desk at the Harrison County Times-Reporter, unless I am out in the field covering a story. Because news doesn’t happen behind a desk. The only way news happens is if I’m out there covering it.
You will see me in the community. Walk up, introduce yourselves, and let me know your stories. That’s who I am and what I do.
And now, the man who will never stop, will stop.
Lee Zion, HC Times-Reporter Editor
