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!
Nov. 2, 2022
By Devlyn Brooks
There are few days on the calendar that elicit more excitement in news folks than Election Day.
Journalists, including our own newsroom folks at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal, spend weeks preparing for Election Day. We closely follow the story lines regarding who is running again, who is stepping down and what political newcomers are emerging.
We eagerly watch the deadline by which candidates must throw their hats into the ring. And when it passes, we then set out to tell the candidates’ stories, what motivates them, why they are running for election and what their platforms are. And then in the weeks leading up to Election Day itself, we publish the candidates’ stories in an effort to inform our communities.
Then along comes Election Day!
Election Day in a newsroom, big or small, is a big event. There’s excited chatter among colleagues about what stories will emerge as the votes are tabulated. Will there be an unexpected turn? Will an “outsider” candidate shake things up? Does that referendum pass? There are so many questions to begin the day.
Later, after the team has been out canvassing local polling places, interviewing the dedicated election workers who give up their days to ensure that elections run smoothly and fairly, and grabbing quotes from voters on their way out of the polls, we all gather back at the newsroom to write up stories, await the votes from the county and state authorities and eat pizza. There is always election night pizza! It’s tradition!
After three decades in this business, I tell you, there is no better place to be on Election Day than in a newsroom!
Which brings me to the focus of this week’s column: our election coverage.
On the eve of these important elections, we hope that our hard work to give you the information you need to make an informed voting decision has paid off. And please know that our efforts aren’t done. We are geared up to provide blanket coverage of every race up and down the ticket that matters to you and your community.
So, what will this continuing coverage look like?
Well, it’ll begin Tuesday, Nov. 8, with coverage of Election Day itself. We’ll be out and about, talking with those involved in the elections and those voting. Our early coverage will begin hitting our websites during the day, and we’ll continue to follow the stories until the last ballot is counted.
On election night, we’ll work hard to connect with all the county and state officials overseeing our elections. And we’ll produce stories about the winners as fast as we can turn them around. Our sites will be live, local and loaded with stories! We’ll ensure that you know the winners and outcomes of every election you care about that night.
Unfortunately, however, it will be too late in the game for us to get the election results into our Wednesday, Nov. 2, edition of the Detroit Lakes Tribune or the Thursday, Nov. 3, editions of the Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal. Given when our newspapers are slated to go to press each week, it won’t be possible for us to publish result stories in our printed papers until the following editions, which will be Saturday, Nov. 5, for the Tribune and Thursday, Nov. 10, for the Focus and Pioneer Journal.
In elections past, we may have had more wriggle room to move around press times to accommodate more timely coverage in our printed newspapers, but that isn’t the case any longer in this changing industry.
However, despite that the full slate of election coverage will be published a little later in print, we promise that you will not lack for election news. Our team will be publishing to our websites in real time, and then repackaging the best of that content into what makes sense for our next available printed papers. That is our commitment to you!
Now, bring on Election Day! We’re ready!
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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