From time to time, I think it’s imperative to reach out to readers and give a state of the newspaper update.
Six months ago, we announced some major changes in our newsroom in the form of a significant reorganization.
To recap, after the departure of our former Ocean City beat reporter for a government job, two promotions and a new-old hire was made. Promoted were Shawn Soper, from news editor to managing editor who took over the Ocean City government beat, and Charlene Sharpe, who took on the additional responsibility of copy editor, meaning she reviews each page with editorial copy prior to it going to press. Returning last September after a stint with public radio was Bryan Russo, who had previously been a staff writer with this newspaper.
When this reorganization was announced, immediate changes in our content were promised. By and large, and some editions are stronger than others, I think we have met that charge and on a daily basis deliver unique content that was previously not part of our offerings.
The newsroom is hitting new heights and I look to some of the recent content to explain how our focus on the community has changed while remaining a reliable source for government news. Sure this is the team I created, and I’m biased more than anyone could possibly be, but let’s recap some recent work.
Last week, after years of covering the body and filing dozens of articles, Sharpe took a deep dive into the Berlin Historic District Commission, sitting down with its chairwoman for an interview while also comparing some recent votes that raise questions about fairness and consistency for commercial and residential property owners. That sort of in-depth examination takes the current event — this month’s decision on a homeowner’s windows — and puts it into a contextually accurate picture with historical precedent offered as examples. Only an experienced reporter with familiarity with years of voting can pull this sort of story off.
When Russo returned to our team, improved coverage of the unique aspects of this coastal community was promised. A major part of that are his weekly interviews with community citizens and leaders. One of my all-time favorites is the talk with Michelle Freeman from a couple weeks ago where she discussed her spirit and faith while talking frankly about the tragedies and success in her life. Freeman doesn’t agree to interviews with anyone, so it was a coup for this publication.
Along with those interviews, which are also available in audio podcasts on our website each week, Russo’s material has shined the light on aspects of the community that have previously gone largely unreported. Last week’s story on retired teacher Constance Sturgis and her continued focus on this area’s youth was one example
This week’s story on the retired reverend from Crisfield is yet another. It’s a great find to learn that a colleague of Martin Luther King’s lives in Berlin and understanding the depth of their relationship during a critical time in our nation’s history was a joy to read. It’s a story Russo had been working on for weeks and timed to release during Black History Month.
Leading the straight news reporting front is Soper, who has adeptly transitioned to being a beat reporter in Ocean City while also maintaining the responsibility as our primary police beat and sports reporter and other managerial responsibilities. Soper’s years working here and living on the lower shore give him a balanced perspective and familiarity that’s evident in just about all his stories. Additionally, one of his unique strengths is his ability to generate quality and quantity, as last week he wrote 17 news articles.
While this may sound boastful, from time to time, I like to let our readers know what’s happening here. We are far from perfect, and the intent here is not to publicly praise. Rather it’s the goal to keep our readers abreast and to reaffirm our weekly goal here in the print edition as well as our daily expectations through our online brand.
Moving ahead, in a desire to never stand pat, a new website will soon be launched. There will be more on that in the near future.