We have a special book in our office that we turn to in times of stress, boredom and the occasional victory. It's a book that has been passed down from reporter to reporter ever since it was introduced to us by former editor Jane Seyd. Well, truth be told, she didn't pass it on to me so much as she made me covet hers and buy my own. But I passed it on while I was on maternity leave, with strict instructions that it stay in the office.
You may be wondering what this amazing book is. It's a glossy hardcover 11-page Barbie Action News Reporter book complete with sound buttons. It's one of those kid's books, you know, where you push the sound buttons as you read along in the story. It says it's for children 18 months and older, and we're definitely older.
The draw of this book is two-fold. Not only does it have sounds of Barbie saying "Here's the latest news" and "It's fun to be a reporter," it also has a story line following Barbie through her day as a reporter. Sadly, the story line isn't far off the mark.It shows Barbie covering a marathon, a tree planting, a horse show, a mall opening, then having a break for pizza before carrying on with her day and accepting her award for best local reporting. Well, maybe I haven't accepted an award for best local reporter, but I have covered all of the other events Barbie goes to. In a way it's depressing that my work can be summed up in 11 pages and a few hundred words. But in a way it's flattering I'm Barbie.
But, story line aside, we mainly use the sound buttons.
Like a few weeks ago when I had angry callers chastising me for my efforts on one of their community projects. That was an "It's fun to be a reporter" day.
Or the time I got an email thanking me for my "fantastic" coverage of a community member's event. That was an applause day. I also highlighted the word "fantastic" and put up a printout of the email where everyone could see it.
Of course, reporters, being the odd bunch that we are, often press the dog-barking button. It doesn't need to have anything to do with what's going on, it's just something we do to laugh. And we need a little laughter here. Although the Barbie book sums up most of my job description, it doesn't touch the sad and often disturbing news we have to cover. Like the Ray Irwin trial, for example, or the murder of Mark "Chico" Baptiste. These are stories I'd rather not have to deal with, but it's my job. And this is a job I love, despite the few angry phone calls and disturbing news stories. This is something I knew I wanted to do since I was five years old. Maybe that's why I so proudly display the Barbie Action News Reporter book by my desk. It's a childhood dream come true.
So, if you're ever in our office and hear the sound of applause or a dog barking, know it's our way of patting ourselves on the back for a job well done or breaking the tension while working on a serious story. And if you're thinking about becoming a small-town reporter, I highly recommend this book - it's almost all you need to know.
