I’ll be picking up a new assignment at Sun News Nov. 17: the Lakewood beat.
Lakewood, Ohio. It’s where I currently live and it’s a fantastic city on the shore of Lake Erie. What’s striking about Lakewood is its unique culture – a character in itself that’s carried through the local history.
What the new beat will allow me to do is stretch my journalistic legs a bit further. In the past year (today is my first anniversary working at Sun), I’ve learned a great deal about the work of a beat reporter, the ups and downs of shoe-leather journalism. It’s been invaluable experience and it’ll only continue with this gig.
I want to continue to explore the intersection of that traditional journalistic mentality and the rising influence of social media. Journalism is a two-way street – and that’s a great thing. The idea of “the community” is so important now. In reporting the ongoing news narrative in Lakewood, the local community (readers, users, public figures, etc.) will be paramount.
Community journalism should be seen as an integral part of any city, town or neighborhood. But it’s something that serves many roles and demands many participants.
Look for the story at cleveland.com/lakewood.
Sandy 