Now that my children are grown, I have more time to think about whether my life’s work is moving in the right direction.
I began working in journalism in 1966 while still in college. I had zero skills for the occupation but I loved to write and thought newspapers were about writing.
Over the past 58 years I’ve learned about journalism. I learned from an amazing group of dedicated men and women.
Good journalism is essential to preserving democracy. Shedding light on the issues allows voters to make informed decisions.
There was a time in my life when I worried about the direction newspapers were taking.
Journalism
After all, my career came of age at a time when newspapers were taking risks to uncover problems in our society. Back in the 60s, the New York Times and other papers published the Pentagon Papers released by Daniel Ellsberg, making the world aware of the lies beneath the rationale for the Vietnamese War.
Then in the early 70s, the Washington Post set two of its investigators loose on the Watergate story. We all know the end.
Back in those days, mega-corporations hadn’t taken control of the news process. And Wikileaks hadn’t begun overwhelming the citizenry with information. Years passed.
Milton Times
The Milton Times began publication in 1995. Both of my children helped in the beginning. My son, who was at Milton High School, handled deliveries and picked up the newspaper from the printing plant. My daughter worked full time creating ads and helping with page layout on the computer. My late mother helped proof the pages.
The paper has changed over the past 25 years. A full-size truck brings the paper to town because it no longer fits in a large car or SUV. There is a staff of hard-working professionals who put the pages together.
My daughter returned to work on the paper in 2021 and has since taken over what had been my role. I retired in 2022. I’m thrilled that she moved back to Massachusetts.