Suffice it to say that the past few days have been among the most difficult I have spent in my 26 years at the Daily Times.
There are very few times when I wish I never got into this newspaper racket. This weekend was one of them.
We continue to come to grips with the tragic loss of our co-worker, staff reporter Stephanie Whalen. Our hearts go out to her family, and we stand by them in this dark hour.
In the many things that I have been dealing with since I got the horrible news Saturday afternoon, there is one thing I did not account for, and I’m not sure why. I’ve seen it many times, just not from this side of the story.
To put it simply, I have been overwhelmed at the response from our readers and the public to our plight. I spent much of the day on Tuesday fielding phone calls and e-mails from those looking to ease our grief.
Some knew Stephanie well; some didn’t know her at all. All were touched by her passing and the incredible void left behind.
Many of the calls were from people Stephanie interacted with on the job, people she interviewed or covered in her day-to-day duties as a reporter. To a person they indicated she was simply a delight to work with.
Many people who never met her still knew her name from the newspaper and simply wanted to pass along their condolences to her colleagues at the Daily Times.
They are our readers, and as they have proved so many times, they were ready to open their hearts to someone in a time of need.
These are not good times for the newspaper industry. We find ourselves under siege on all sides. Yet I cannot tell you how gratifying it is to know that the newspaper has made that kind of connection with our readers and the community.
That’s due in large part to people like Stephanie Whalen.
On behalf of the staff, I’d like to thank all those who have reached out to us. We’re not used to being in this position. We usually the ones covering these kinds of tragic events. Not the other way around.
Your thoughts and prayers have made a very dark time for all of us a bit more tolerable.
Steph was especially good at dealing with people in these kinds of circumstances. That’s one of the things I’ll remember most about her.
And one of the things I will try to emulate.
There are very few times when I wish I never got into this newspaper racket. This weekend was one of them.
We continue to come to grips with the tragic loss of our co-worker, staff reporter Stephanie Whalen. Our hearts go out to her family, and we stand by them in this dark hour.
In the many things that I have been dealing with since I got the horrible news Saturday afternoon, there is one thing I did not account for, and I’m not sure why. I’ve seen it many times, just not from this side of the story.
To put it simply, I have been overwhelmed at the response from our readers and the public to our plight. I spent much of the day on Tuesday fielding phone calls and e-mails from those looking to ease our grief.
Some knew Stephanie well; some didn’t know her at all. All were touched by her passing and the incredible void left behind.
Many of the calls were from people Stephanie interacted with on the job, people she interviewed or covered in her day-to-day duties as a reporter. To a person they indicated she was simply a delight to work with.
Many people who never met her still knew her name from the newspaper and simply wanted to pass along their condolences to her colleagues at the Daily Times.
They are our readers, and as they have proved so many times, they were ready to open their hearts to someone in a time of need.
These are not good times for the newspaper industry. We find ourselves under siege on all sides. Yet I cannot tell you how gratifying it is to know that the newspaper has made that kind of connection with our readers and the community.
That’s due in large part to people like Stephanie Whalen.
On behalf of the staff, I’d like to thank all those who have reached out to us. We’re not used to being in this position. We usually the ones covering these kinds of tragic events. Not the other way around.
Your thoughts and prayers have made a very dark time for all of us a bit more tolerable.
Steph was especially good at dealing with people in these kinds of circumstances. That’s one of the things I’ll remember most about her.
And one of the things I will try to emulate.
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