For the past few months, my days have had a quiet consistency I\u2019ve appreciated very much. I\u2019ve driven to the office, opened up my laptop, and \u2014 often with a cup of coffee nearby \u2014 I\u2019ve written. I\u2019ve penned (or typed, really) hundreds of articles about high school sports, city council meetings, the school district\u2019s budget, murder trials, community events and everything in between.<\/p>\n
I wrote about happenings on the Kenai Peninsula, an area I\u2019ve never been, from my office in Juneau, where I\u2019ve lived for close to a year now. This was only possible because of you.<\/p>\n
Without the thousands of emails I\u2019ve received from organizations, schools and individuals, I wouldn\u2019t have known where to begin. Reporting the goings-on of an area I live hundreds of miles away from was never ideal, but unfortunately, this situation was a representation of the journalism industry\u2019s current health. Most small papers these days are run by a few scrappy individuals who are absolutely determined to keep the public informed. (I\u2019m looking at you, Delcenia.)<\/p>\n
This relationship is a two-way street. It requires a journalist who will ask questions, sure \u2014 but it takes someone to answer them, too.<\/p>\n
So thank you. Thank you for every email alerting me of a topic I otherwise wouldn\u2019t have heard of and every phone call where we dived into the details together. Thank you for contributing photos and reading the stories we wrote together.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sorry to say I\u2019ve accepted a new position, and I\u2019m leaving the Clarion effective Feb. 20. This edition is the last paper that will have my byline on it. I\u2019m not sure when I\u2019ll be replaced, but I hope it\u2019s soon.<\/p>\n
The importance of local news cannot be overstated. Community involvement is crucial in countless aspects of daily life, and an individual\u2019s awareness of what\u2019s going on in their city is an essential first step in creating the changes they wish to see. A journalist\u2019s job is to foster that awareness.<\/p>\n
Any major change one may hope for \u2014 whether environmental, social or political \u2014 starts at a local level. A small stone can create dozens of ripples when it\u2019s tossed into still water; a huge landslide can create a massive tsunami when boulders hit the sea.<\/p>\n
So stay involved. Ask questions. Share stories. Keep a finger on the pulse of your community, and speak up if there\u2019s an arrhythmia.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll always appreciate the time I got to spend doing the same.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
The Feb. 20 edition of the Clarion is reporter Chloe Anderson’s last. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1148,"featured_media":92625,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[811],"tags":[688,138],"class_list":["post-92624","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news","tag-column","tag-out-of-the-office"],"yoast_head":"\n