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Over these 40-plus years in the field of journalism, I have met many, many interesting people. Not all of those with whom I have interacted are worth remembering for one reason or another. Yet, just as many offer good memories.
When you can report a happy reunion or hear some good news for a sick child, it stays with you.
Trust me however, there is something chilling when an accused or convicted murderer gives you the evil eye when you are reporting their crimes.
There also have been the interviews where the interviewee gave one or two-word answers to deep-diving questions. Nothing could be worse for an eager reporter.
Then there have been those who talk non-stop on topics I could never explain in layman's terms. By the grace of God and with help from more experienced editors, I was able to make those tough interviews worth reading.
Sometimes things could get a little hairy or downright scary. More than once I have been threatened by people who don't care for media types poking in their business. Sometimes circumstances were not to their liking and they really hated when I or the photographers took photos, especially at crime scenes and tragic situations.
No one in this business enjoys the tragedies of others. We are human, too, and believe me when I tell you that newsroom tears have been real. We have suffered our own losses, too.
We gasped when 9/11 unfolded before us in the newsroom. We were scared and horrified at some of the things we witnessed that day.
Then there have been the fatal fires, car wrecks, industrial accidents, murders, child abuse cases and natural disasters that have brought the public and reporters to their knees.
I have seen the sadness in the eyes of homeowners who have lost everything, including family members, in the too-often river and creek floods that have struck this Ohio Valley.
There has always been a quiet, unspoken camaraderie among the various media folks in this area.
It's not out of the norm for reporters from all aspects of the news-gathering crews to help one another on a big story.
And when one of us makes a mistake, as I have done, they are the first to pull you out of your misery. For that I am grateful.
Competition or not, we respect each others' jobs. And when the day is over and the stories are put to bed, the excitement of a job well done just might be shared over a cold brew at a local pub.
But the national media of today scares me.
There are so many in the mainstream news business who are quick to offer their opinions on a story instead of simply reporting the facts. Leave the opinions to the op-ed pages, please.
In the meantime, trust that we here in the Ohio Valley really do want to do an accurate and fair job when it comes to the news. It's just not as easy as it looks.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.