The People's Paper

Recollections of my newspapering life are far in the background of all the years of living since. But sometimes, like yesterday after listening to a radio program about the "future of the free press", I allow myself to go back to that familiar place.

1978 in the back room of The Potter Enterprise

I still feel a pull toward that life - the satisfying work of making sense of a lengthy school board meeting, following borough council's actions, editing the words of various small community correspondents reporting comings and goings from places like Card Creek, Germania, Hebron. And sharing the birth announcements, telling the wedding stories and writing obituaries, making sure that there are no misspellings - after all it is a public record as I was told in the early days of that work.

The back room functions, setting type (though I never actually set type but rather used phototypesetting equipment, then a computer), designing ads, choosing typefaces, and pasteup. And the work of putting the pages together. Then it was Wednesday – unloading the van just back from the printers and getting those thousands of weeklies where they needed to be. The satisfying feeling of the gray mailbags, properly labeled on their way to the post office.

It was, of course, a group effort with many hard-working people doing their jobs - often two or three jobs. Dedicated people and good friends.

And when it was Thursday, we'd begin again.

I had already pushed publish on my post about propaganda and distrust of the media yesterday when I came across this written when my grandfather took the reins of The Potter Enterprise in 1920.

"In the consolidation of the Enterprise and Independent, the owners have the means and hand to give the people of Potter County one of the greatest newspapers ever published. And that it will be, indeed, and truthful of the duty we owe the people of this county. It shall be our persistent effort and loyal and earnest endeavor to so conduct this publication that it will be, in deed and truth, "The People's Paper."

"From its columns we shall divorce all personal animosities and ideas of favor and will present fearlessly and consistently the news in all its phases.

"This paper will stand opposed at all times to corruption and graft and the control, politically of a few, to the detriment of the many. We are in the fight to be of service to ALL the people and we shall not hesitate to expose and make public through its columns any acts or practices on the part of the public officials, whom we believe are violating the trust and failing in the performance of duties that have been reposed in them.

"As the editor of the Enterprise, the writer is not unmindful of the duty he owes the people of Potter County and fully cognizant of that duty. It shall be his constant aim to serve fairly all people and promote all things that may result in the public good. The editor of the Enterprise wants to merit the confidence and support in his efforts and pledges them at all times championship of Right, Justice and Equality and asks for hearty support and cooperation."

Although I've been dissociated from newspapering in Potter County for many years, there's more than a little regret in acknowledging that. As we say these days, it's in my DNA.