By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com
Michael Rodriguez
Friday was not unlike any other news day. We were gathering all the data on articles I assigned the day prior and a few that we learned of that morning. In between writing and copy editing, our staff writer requested music from an artist or band we share mutual admiration for; meanwhile, I was preparing the content for this weekend’s paper and putting the finishing touches on a story about the rapid declination of Landrum’s enrollment and its recommended closure, so a little Bob Dylan definitely helped lighten the mood. A freelance writer who often checks in with us stopped by to help compile information for our upcoming livestock shows magazine.
So there we were, excited about all that was on tap but recognizing the day for what it was: business as usual.
Then it happened. Breaking news. I got a tip about a local man’s arrest for the alleged aggravated sexual assault of a child, and within minutes afterward my lead reporter had much of the story researched and completed. This is normal, because reporters do not stand around and think too much about how these stories make them feel. There’s no time to feel when you’re on a deadline. Instinct takes over.
I recently wrote about growing cold as a result of this lifestyle. In fact, I still don’t understand how the men and women in law enforcement are able to withstand the emotional toll they must endure; after being subjected to a mere fraction of what they experience on a daily basis, I definitely have the utmost respect for their line of work.
I had to go through much to regain my propensity to empathize, and that’s because I do not take these cases home with me, as it is the case with many authorities, unfortunately.
So there we were, still excited about the paper but shocked at the allegations that had been levied, the arrests that had been made and the charges that had been filed. I guess that’s a good thing – the fact that we can still be shocked.
I also used to know people who experienced similar horrors early in their childhood. It never left them, and they – up until the time that I knew them – never knew peace. This is why I sincerely hope that whatever trauma or abuse these victims may have endured will be eased over time, and that they may one day find peace.
On Monday, we’ll come back to work ready for whatever the world has in store for us, and we may even forget about how learning of these tragic circumstances made us feel three days prior. After all, we don’t have time to feel anything other than the pressures of deadlines. Actually, hard-nosed journalists would scoff at this column and chalk up Friday to a good day for news, leaving the rest of us who they perceive as soft to believe it was a bad day for humanity.
Well, I’m not ashamed to say that I fall into the latter category. My job comes first, granted, and I perform to the best of my ability as do all the employees at the News. But that shouldn’t mean that we have to stop being human.
At the very moment that I’m writing this, our staff writer stood and complained about being tired and hot after throwing his press badge across the room in a fit of frustration. I think he even kicked up his leg, I guess in an attempt to perform Chuck Norris’ signature roundhouse kick. His opponent? Thin air. All this was done in jest, of course. This is a hardened reporter who just a few hours ago had learned of the evils men are capable of committing. Simply put, this is how he deals with the work he does.
Sometimes, I see how other reporters react to such stories, which is usually through heartfelt messages they post on Facebook, others turn to music while some of us resort to humor.
I mention this for one simple reason: to humanize journalists.
Consider that there was a time when practicing law meant you were somehow inhuman. Remember that? When everyone thought that lawyers were the scum of the earth? Right now, we’re entering a time in which society is beginning to categorize the media similarly. But before you go down that road, may I suggest that you remember that there are those of us who recognize that while a good day for news is great for business, a bad day for humanity is awful for everyone.
Read this story in the Jan. 13 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.
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