When my husband and I moved to Bloomington in 2016, we had no intention of making it our home. We expected to be transients — here for the two years it would take to finish my master’s program at SPEA, then off to the next chapter, Bloomington just a short blip on our life’s journey.
But we soon decided we had found the best little city in Indiana. We were grateful we opted to buy instead of rent. We found community in many ways. When my service with the U.S. Census Bureau was complete and I was back on the job market, I saw the ad for the editor of The Herald-Times and ignored it. Honestly, I didn’t want this job.
But I love Bloomington and I was a reader just like you and after awhile, when the job still hadn’t been filled, I decided I’d rather do this than sit at home criticizing the paper when it obviously needed help.
I started with the H-T almost exactly two years ago. I have made changes many of you didn’t agree with and the company has made a lot more that I didn’t agree with, including eliminating jobs in our newsroom. I have tried to find a balance between what our parent company’s massive amount of data tells us about reader habits and what I know about the community I chose. It’s not perfect, it’s always evolving, and the weight of the H-T legacy sometimes presses on me in uncomfortable ways. I believe, though, if you ask any H-T staffer, they will tell you I have fought for them, kicked holes in silos for all of us and try every day to demonstrate the value of the H-T to our digital subscribers, our print readers and the decision makers above.
You may have seen the article in the most recent edition of Bloom Magazine. It’s mostly accurate, but as a magazine that comes out only every other month, things have changed and what was true when the story was written isn’t anymore. Two minor corrections: Martinsville now has zero reporters and the Bedford press is closed so the H-T is only printed in Indianapolis now.
The biggest thing I feel like Bloom got wrong, however, is calling the H-T a ghost paper. We are not. This term has new meaning for working journalists: It’s what countless papers across the country have become as the number of staff members reached zero. These papers continue to come out, devoid of any local news, or in the best case, supplemented by freelance and community contributions. Check out the L.A. Times article on The Salinas Californian. That’s what a ghost paper looks like.
I’m talking, not to Craig Coley, who wrote the Bloom article, because our communication department said not to, but to others in our community about how to strengthen your access to local news. Remember that massive archive I mentioned stored in the basem*nt of the H-T? With no community stewards able to take it on, the company was ready to throw it away. Thank you to Marsha Lovejoy and Cook for agreeing to store it for us and buy me time.
ICYMI:From the news director: What's left in The Herald-Times building?
Soon, you will have a chance to own a piece of Bloomington history because I have been given the go ahead to try to sell this archive. It’s not all in great condition. I don’t know which of the books are missing important papers. But what I can promise is whatever I can raise selling this history, hopefully to some of you, I will use to support a reporting position in our community.
I don’t think we will raise enough ($47,000) to pay a Report for America reporter for two years and more fundraising will need to be done to counter our losses, but I know you value daily news reporting in Bloomington. The fact you are reading this is my evidence, along with countless personal conversations I have had in recent months, and the thoughtful notes in my inbox and the email inboxes of the H-T's dedicated reporting staff.
There are more than 1,100 volumes of bound newspapers in the archive. I know that thanks to the Monroe County Public Library’s inventory. Thank you, Lisa Champelli and MCPL. This inventory has helped me in more ways than one.
I also want to thank Walt Gantz for the pep talk/therapy session/encouragement to reach for my most creative solutions, Janice Rickert for her perspective and unwavering support, and Bob Zaltsberg for always picking up the phone and meeting me at Soma to listen, advise and lift some of the guilt from my shoulders. There are a lot more champions out there, too, including all our loyal readers who come to the defense of the H-T at every opportunity.
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Finally, thank you to Malcolm Abrams for deciding to dedicate so many pages in the current issue of Bloom Magazine to The Herald-Times. The article not only strengthens my resolve, it also underlines my arguments as I ask Bloomington to show how much local journalism matters. There’s a lot of work ahead. I could use some help figuring out how to make the most of this opportunity to fund reporting in our town, next year and in the years to come.
P.S. Many of you are wondering what has happened to us now that the H-T building sale is complete. We moved to a new office, one that is bright, clean and has energized the staff, bringing us together with renewed purpose. I’m not going to say exactly where it is here because there are no functions outside of news gathering in this space. But I want you to know we’re very happy and continue to produce compelling, impactful journalism every day.
Jill Bond is news director for The Herald-Times. Reach her at jbond@heraldt.com.
