Front Porch: Glimpsing the future

When you’re in the news biz, most of the news about the business of journalism is bad. It seems like every week, I read about another newspaper going under.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to visit the Deer Park Home Link journalism class in October. The fact that the elective is even offered is encouraging.

It was an all-girl class, which was fun for this mom of boys, but I was a bit disappointed when most of the girls admitted that the only time they read The Spokesman-Review was in class. Luckily, I’d brought several copies to share with them.

After a bit of my background, we went over a couple of my stories. The first thing I told them to look for was the byline. Identifying the writer of an article is important – especially when it comes to local news. I explained that by looking up a journalist’s byline, you can see what kind of stories they write and who they’ve written for.

By offering examples of feature stories, news articles and columns, I hoped they’d learn the difference and how vital it is to make sure what they think is news is actually written by a professional and not a “citizen journalist.”

The girls had just finished a section on interviews, so we chatted about what makes a good interview and what kinds of questions should be asked.

That’s when they came alive. I showed them several articles and asked, “What questions do you think I asked during this interview?”

They peppered me with ideas, including a couple of questions I wished I’d asked!

We talked about open and closed-ended questions, and for an example of a closed-ended question, I asked a student, “Do you like beans?”

She said she didn’t, so I proceeded to subject her to a journalistic grilling about WHY she didn’t like beans.

“Because they’re gross,” she said.

“Is it the taste? Are we talking about green beans, baked beans, or …”

“All beans!” she said.

Don’t tell me I don’t know how to do deep dives on a subject. After we established her anti-bean position, we went on to talk about the importance of listening and how it’s OK to give silence its space during interviews or conversations.

Then it was their turn to interrogate me.

“So, why did you start doing journalism and writing articles?”

(I wanted to use my writing skills and meet interesting people, but set my own hours, so I wouldn’t miss a kid’s soccer match, football game or concert.)

“What are some speed bumps for you in your writing process?”

(I have a black belt in procrastination. I can sit down to write a story and instantly remember I need to do the laundry, start a grocery list, phone a friend, answer an email or pet a cat. Working from home has its drawbacks.)

“What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever written about?”

(A four-way tie between toilets, “Netflix and Chill,” cats and my husband. Read into that what you will.)

I spent the rest of the class fielding one great question after another, but there was one thing they didn’t ask: What do you like most about my job?

On the drive home, I thought about how I would have replied.

Most days, I don’t just like my job – I love it. The places I go, the things I learn, and most of all, the people I meet. Those things mostly make up for the abysmal pay and a life lived with ever-looming deadlines.

And then there are the bright glimpses of the future I get to see when writing about graduating high school seniors and their hopes and dreams, or meeting a group of savvy young journalism students. Telling their stories and offering pieces of my own is a privilege I never take for granted.

I started writing for this newspaper when my youngest son was in kindergarten – now he’s an English instructor at a Texas college.

So, thank you, dear readers, for sharing this journey with me. Here’s to 2024 and all the stories left to tell.

Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com. Hval is the author of “War Bonds: Love Stories from the Greatest Generation” (Casemate Publishers, 2015) available at Auntie’s Bookstore and bookstores nationwide.