Reflections

by Shannon Connant

On Thursday, our group made a trip to the Bothell-Kenmore Reporter where we met with Editor, Andy Nystrom. Located next to city hall and the Bothell police department, Nystrom emphasized the convenience and accessibility in responding to events and reporting them in a timely matter. This was one of the many things we learned about the newspaper industry during our visit.

With only six staff members, Nystrom confesses that working for a community paper can be challenging at times. In addition to editing, Nystrom often does many jobs for the paper, such as shooting photos and videos, and maintaining the paper's website. His advice for people interested in journalism is to be flexible. "Have an open-mind," Nystrom said, which he emphasizes is important in the reporting field.

Although the weekly is accessible worldwide through its website, it remains local in its reporting, and this is beneficial in working for the paper. Throughout Nystrom's three-and-a-half year experience at the weekly, he has developed many relationships with people of the Bothell community, and this has allowed him to get more out of his interviewees, such as residential issues with the mayor.

Bothell-Kenmore reporter, however, won't be in the same place for long, according to Nystrom. Soon the staff will be sharing a space with a local Kirkland paper, and this might be a challenge for them. Accessibility to events may be difficult to get to, so Nystrom encourages the Bothell community to be their own reporters by sending videos and updates within the city. This is another aspect of journalism where Nystrom emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability.

Though Nystrom has been through several closures, he believes the Bothell weekly newspaper will last. "There's always somewhere to write," said Nystrom.