With over 30 years of experience in the newspaper industry, Regional Editor Rod Skinner has literal newspaper ink running through his veins.  He has a wall full of awards and a sound knowledge of the newspaper industry.

When asked if things have truly changed in the ultra-new modern world of digital, social media and online, he honestly answers ‘no’; the fundamentals of reporting – be it in print, online or even social media – have not changed. It is always about verifying the information, checking the sources and ensuring that you are giving your reader, viewer or follower honest, unbiased news.

Staying true

The things we use to do the job (like smartphone cameras) may have changed, but everything else has remained the same. You are basically telling a true story while having the facts to back it up.

When I first started way back in 1992, we had no cellphones; communication was done by landline.

Later, we would get pagers and then the first brick Nokia cellphones became a thing.

Imagine that, no internet to check sources! The internet only really started becoming a thing in 1996… I have been around since before everything we take for granted today – the internet, streaming, smartphones and social media. But somehow stories still came out, fact-checked and honest.

Gathering news is still the same

It was a different time, but honestly, gathering news is still the same and we have gotten better at it while keeping the trust of our communities. We have a massive Facebook and online following, and we are reaching more and more people daily. Exciting times indeed!

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