Skip to main content

Breaking News

I don't know why I was surprised. Why should I be? Amanda Yeager is leaving the Howard County Times and "Mold in Howard County" broke the story.

 Last Friday, Amanda informed me she has taken a position with the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, a promotion and positive career move, one that she deserves. I would like to thank Amanda for the dedication and integrity she has shown while covering this story and wish her the very best in her new position. She will be here another week and hopes to get one more story out. We shall see if her long overdue MPIAs arrive before she leaves (lol).
Lisa Philip has been covering education for the last several months and will now take over for Amanda on the mold issue as well.
Stop. Just stop. Can we just keep one, or possibly even two, local reporters? It's the same painful story repeating itself. They're young, over-worked, and underpaid. And then they are gone. How can we possibly have continuity and real depth in Howard County news when we are completely unable to hang on to journalists?
Yes, I know that the newspaper industry isn't what it once was. That doesn't stop us from needing news coverage from real-live, professional journalists. As odd as it may sound, I feel like we, as a community, may need to step up to create a better financial model. Similar to rural or remote communities that create incentives for teachers or doctors, we need to make Howard County a place that journalists want to work, and above all, stay.
 I also feel that the Howard County Times needs to up its game. What can they do to prevent this seemingly inevitable tipping point when their employees decide it would be better to be someplace else? Are young journalists merely a dime a dozen to them? In my opinion, the people entrusted to bringing the truth to our community should be treated better than fast food workers who are easily replaced at the lowest wage the market will bear.
 I will really miss Amanda. From the outset she has treated me and what I do on the blog with respect. She has endured my numerous questions and even a few suggestions with grace. I hope her new job brings her more of what this one didn't, more of what she, as a journalist, is seeking.
 Now what will we do to break this cycle?


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more