I spent two very enjoyable years working as a newspaper reporter for The Eagle Newspaper. During that time I learned a few things about news reporting and writing headlines. Accurate reporting does not have to be boring; Attention-grabbing headlines do not have to be intentionally misleading.

I can honestly say that The Eagle, despite being a small-town weekly, worked hard to produce accurate and reliable news. Conversely, I used to be amazed at how I could attend the same event as major-market news reporters (TV or print) and end up with a completely different story. I would be amazed at the spin they would put on an article to suit whatever bias they felt compelled to apply. On more than one occasion I was not certain that I was reading or watching news about the same event that I covered!

As a child I can recall my father being slandered in the news during a controversial church vs. state legal battle in Concord, NH. (The church won, by the way, because my father was willing to risk arrest to stand for his convictions. I learned to stand strong for what I believe early on – a legacy I am proud to be able to claim!) I have also been sandbagged by a news reporter while managing a company in Binghamton, NY. The reporter misrepresented the focus of a Sunday Feature to obtain interviews with several companies in our market and then proceeded to slander us in the Sunday newspaper.