In August 2022 I was appointed the publisher of a group of three community newspapers, collectively known in Forum Communications Co. as the "Lakes Group." I hadn't been a full-time publisher in a number of years, but I saw an opportunity to return to working in the community newspaper space. And while the gig only lasted 10 months before an eventual company restructuring, it was one of the most rewarding professional stints I've ever had. Hats off the the staffs at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal for welcoming this old newspaper hack for a great run!
Feb. 1, 2023
By Devlyn Brooks
Our mom did her best to teach us kids that bragging was impolite, but I think she’d forgive me this one time!
Last week, the Minnesota Newspaper Association held its annual convention, and a part of the festivities is the association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
Judges from other states are asked to review entries from the state’s newspapers, and then they award first, second and third place awards in categories from news and sports reporting, to photography, to advertising, to websites. Newspapers are judged against similar sized publications from around the state.
This year, our team received 38 awards – 32 at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, four at the Perham Focus and two at the Wadena Pioneer Journal. Stacked up against similarly sized newspapers, we were very competitive!
I know that if you asked our team about the awards, they’d humbly say that’s not why they do the work of community journalism. But, I do think it’s important to take a moment to recognize the talent that we have on our team that stretches along Highway 10. They may not like to toot their own horn, but I reserve the right to do it on their behalf!
There will be a story in each of our papers about the awards, and we’ll be publishing some ads to highlight our individual winners too. I’d be grateful if you could take a minute to celebrate with us these achievements! This is a special team of community journalists, and they deserve a pat on the back! Thank you!
'Reflections' publishes this week
I’m also pleased to share that the special “Reflections” pages I wrote about in December will be published in our three newspapers this week. There will be one “Reflections” page specific to Detroit Lakes that will publish on Saturday, and a shared “Reflections” page for the Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal, which will publish in both Thursday editions.
"Reflections" is a collection of memorials for people in our communities who passed away in 2022. Although the section won’t be a comprehensive list of all of the deaths that have occurred in our community during the past year, the “Reflections” Page will include the memorials which were ordered by loved ones or funeral homes when the deceased's obituaries were published in this newspaper. With the closing of the calendar year, the new “Reflections” page is meant to give families another chance to pay tribute to their loved ones who passed last year.
Local papers create community and preserve a loved one’s story for the history books. In fact, you could say that local newspapers are a first draft of history. And a big part of that history are the stories of the people who live in the community. That’s what makes our paper so special: We go about the business of chronicling the lives of local residents.
“Reflections” is our newest way to do just that. We hope that you find the section as special as we do.
Devlyn Brooks is the publisher of the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal, and their associated websites. He can be reached at dbrooks@dlnewspapers.com or at 218-844-1451.
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