Small town editor hunts for meaningful stories
Quad Community Press editor Shannon Granholm discusses the rewards and challenges of managing a local community paper.
By Emma Harville
When Shannon Granholm graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2013, she was ready to join any newspaper that would take her. After six frustrating months of job-hunting within the journalism world, she got a job as a staff writer for a paper in southern Minnesota, where she was later promoted as editor.
Now the lead editor at the Quad Community press, Granholm manages, edits and writes for eight local newspapers in the north metro — relying on only two full-time reporters and a long list of freelance writers to get the job done.
Q: What are your responsibilities as an editor?
A: I would say the majority of what I do is write stories — that’s a little bit unique. I guess when people think of an editor, they think you’re not doing as much writing, but at a small newspaper that’s definitely not the case — you kind of do everything. I also cover meetings, answer emails — I get hundreds and hundreds of emails!
Q: So with all of those emails, how do you decide what’s really newsworthy?
A: I think it just comes with time. In the beginning, I thought everything was newsworthy. Then as you do the job for longer, I realize when we don’t have the time to look into something. I usually err on the side of having too much content for the paper rather than not enough, so I almost always have stuff that doesn’t make its way into the paper. But I’d rather have it that way than be scrambling and trying to figure out what to throw on the page.
Some weeks it’s super slow, and it’s like, ‘What am I going to write about?’ Then other weeks I’m wondering how I’m ever going to get everything done.
Q: What is the most challenging aspect to being an editor?
A: For me personally, I think it’s having to deal with not nice people. My boss actually told me that was a reason he almost didn’t hire me because he didn’t think I had thick enough skin for this job — and I 100% don’t! If I get a bunch of angry phone calls one day, I will break down and lose it. I’m hoping that as I do the job longer, I’ll be able to deal with it, but I just am not there yet.
Q: What is your favorite part about being an editor?
A: Definitely the stories. I’m in this for the writing part of it. I really enjoy finding stories that I think are going to be meaningful to people. I’m definitely not in it for the controversy. Some journalists just live for that, and I would way rather write about that guy growing a 2000 pound pumpkin than politics.
Q: Where do you get your story ideas from?
A: It’s a combination. Some of them fall right in my lap — someone emails us or gives us a call about something going on; some of them I just happen to see places. For example, in one of our papers a few days ago, there was a celebration ad for a couple who was celebrating their 70th anniversary, so I’m praying they’re still kicking in February because that’s going to be my Valentine’s Day story.
Q: What does your typical day look like at the newsroom?
A: It’s very different. At least right now, most of my Mondays are spent laying out the actual paper. We have a design team that puts the paper together, but I’m very involved in telling them what to put where and which pictures to use. I try to catch stuff on the page for mistakes that maybe weren’t caught in the copy editing process.
We have our news meetings on Tuesdays, so that usually takes up a good hour, or longer. Then the majority of the rest of the week is spent doing interviews and writing. Then, of course, I have some night meetings — city council or school board — but the pandemic has been nice because I can watch them on my laptop instead of actually driving to them.
Q: What advice would you give to the aspiring editor?
A: You have to know that you’re never going to make a great paycheck, but I think everyone who goes into this knows that pretty early on. I would say just be patient and don’t give up. I was so frustrated with how long it took me to find a job, and I can’t even imagine what that is like right now.
It’s totally all about timing and people you know. Once you get that first job, it opens up more doors because no one wants to take a chance on someone who’s never done this before. It’ll come eventually!
While COVID-19 has posed some setbacks for the Quad Community Press, Granholm remains optimistic about the paper’s future. She’ll keep focusing on bringing people together, one meaningful story at a time.
