Great opportunities
Opportunity, depending on the kind, can change life dramatically. It depends on the story, the outliers, the people involved to determine the outcome of any opportunity. I can say for my life, the opportunities have been limitless and they all were balanced on the basis of chance. Sometimes I took the chance and it turned out for the better, sometimes it did not, and sometimes the opportunity was lost completely. Many may believe that a good opportunity is just pure luck and others may think that it was given by a higher being. Nonetheless, I’ve always looked at every opportunity in my life as a very positive thing. I can say with confidence that I believe the opportunity I have chosen as Editor of the South Reporter will be exciting, wonderfully challenging and a chance for me to grow in many areas in my life.
I didn’t decide to take this opportunity just for the sake of having a job; I chose it because it is directly in line with my passion. Some say the ink gets in your blood and I believe that having four generations of family in the newspaper business could make this a true statement. I guess you could say it all began when my greatgrandfather, Charles Travis Crawford became the publisher of the Lawrence Democrat in 1903, in Lawrenceburg, TN, which is home to the great frontiersman, Davy Crockett. My first opportunity in the newspaper business started young because my dad, Jim Crawford, Jr. and my uncle, Nathan Crawford, were the third generation of my grandfather’s newspaper now published as The Democrat Union. I always appreciated the motto that the newspaper carried, “Cry Aloud and Spare Not”. The phrase is derived from the bible verse, Isaiah 58:1. To me it is an inspiration to not be afraid to speak the truth and to not hold back in the chance of opportunity.
From an early age I began learning about the newspaper business, its importance, and other valuable life skills. When I was just a kid I would walk from school to the printing plant to help stuff the sections into the newspaper. For my small contribution to the newspaper, my dad would reward me with $0.30 to buy a bottle of Coca Cola for my time stuffing. That was plenty enough motivation for me back then.
While I was doing my part of stuffing the paper, I always found the work environment that surrounded me fascinating. It was fast paced and exciting as a young one to hear the loud printing press roaring as the sheet of newsprint rolled over the pages with the most recent news. It was so fascinating to me to watch the finished product quickly slide up the conveyor belt to then be reviewed by the pressman. I took note of how each employee worked together seamlessly. To see everyone focused on working together to get the newspaper out on time encouraged me to strive for that same dedication in life and work. I went on to take on bigger jobs as I grew up, and after schooling I began working full time as a Managing Editor for the Colbert County Reporter. My love for the newspaper business still lives on.
There are two very important things that I have learned from being in the newspaper business. First, is that there cannot be a newspaper without the people. For every newspaper I have worked in the past I was sure to recognize it as ‘The People’s Newspaper’. Second, is that having a printed newspaper is a freedom that no one should every give up. The newspaper is a special and important document that archives the history of what has happened in the lives of the community.
Furthermore, it educates us all in the future by reading about what has happened in the past to make good, and sometimes better, decisions. To me, a community paper is of upmost importance because it is a story of the past and a guide for the future.
Coming down Highway 7 into Holly Springs for the first time brought me back to my hometown in Tennessee where those fond memories took place. Similar to downtown Holly Springs, the county courthouse sat in the center of the town square.
I spent a lot of time driving around town admiring the historic Rust College, businesses, schools and all the beautiful historic homes. I realized that Holly Springs and Marshall County is not only growing economically is an all-around beautiful place.
The town seemed to be the perfect fit. Everyone I’ve met has been so delightful. Tim Phillips, Barry Burleson and the South Reporter employees are so nice and have been very helpful during this transition. I look forward to meeting more new people and experiencing everything that this new road will lead me too.
As I move forward with this great opportunity I dedicate myself to be committed to carry on the tradition of The South Reporter.