Fantastic opportunities, change won’t shake commitment to newspaper

The young journalist had only been at the News-Chronicle* a few months when word came of a fantastic opportunity. It was a fellowship — an educational experience where they pay you to learn — and a highly prestigious one at that, with top-credentialed applicants from across the country hoping for a chance at it.

And the winner was our own — meaning, in the dark cloud that accompanies every silver lining, that young person would be saying goodbye to Lake County.

Those of you who’ve followed my career will recall that as my story a generation ago, but history is repeating itself. Reporter Catherine Hannula has also been awarded a fellowship, which she applied for almost on a lark a few months ago. And if I thought my year-long public TV stint in Boston was a big deal, her fellowship is really big: three years in Korea.

We’re terribly proud of her though it doesn’t come at the best time, with editor Brittany Berrens having just left for another, albeit far closer, opportunity in Duluth. Yet make no mistake: We’re committed to this newspaper, and it isn’t going anywhere. If you’ll allow a second cliché behind the dark cloud business, every time a door closes a window opens — or the other way around. As Catherine began winding up her duties for this issue, in walked Two Harbors’ Sonja Peterson, our star intern from two years ago, looking for summer reporting work before entering her third year at Yale. She’s back on the beat and started this week.

You’ll also see a few freshly minted grads and grads-to-be from the University of Minnesota Duluth’s journalism program reporting around Two Harbors, Silver Bay and the county’s farther extremes. At least one of them will likely join us full-time by the fall. And while a search for a permanent editor ensues (if you have any serious recommendations, please call me at 723-5301), former editor Mike Creger and I will oversee the editing.

Even when there is turnover and change, one should be cautious before pronouncing it forever. Who knows? Maybe Catherine will return some day.

I did, even if I never dreamed I would. And a generation later, I’m here writing this for you.

Robin Washington is editor of the Duluth News Tribune and supervisory editor of the News-Chronicle. He may be reached at rwashington@duluthnews.com.

*See attached editorial

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