Wandering: Freedom - The Bethel Citizen

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A flag flies over the Carrabassett River in Carrabassett Valley. Dee Menear

“You must miss it,” the former newspaper man said to me. “I know I sure do.”

I’ve known my acquaintance for many years but he is so far removed from his career in news writing that I always forget he and I have that common thread.

He spoke about breaking the story of the death of Governor Clinton Clauson in 1959; of covering legislative news at the State House in Augusta; of moving from a regional newspaper to the Associated Press before finally settling into public relations work.

His eyes lit up a little more with each story he recalled.

“Those were exciting times,” he said wistfully.

I affirmed that while I was happy with my new job, there were things I missed about reporting.

“I miss sharing other people’s stories. I miss the exhilaration that comes with finding a whopper of a story in an ordinary conversation. I do not miss the deadlines and late nights.”

He laughed knowingly before turning the conversation to technology that was not available to him while he was working his beat. Fighting misinformation, or rather intentional lack of key information, on the internet must be a real issue for journalists these days, he said.

I told him I recently reacted to such a story linked on social media. The information, first shared by a national newspaper, was correct but extremely vague. On the surface, the issue seemed to be real and raised some genuine concerns.

My reaction? Digging into the sources listed in the story and spending hours researching before coming to a far different conclusion than most of those who shared the story.

The beauty of the internet, I said, is that information is widely available to everyone with a connection. Nearly everything can be researched, sources can be accessed and conclusions can be made.

“You wouldn’t go hiking on a mountain for the first time based on information from one source,” I said as I pointed to the hills surrounding our meeting space. “You’d look at maps, talk to folks who have been there before and read from a few guides.”

It is a powerful tool that allows a certain freedom to make informed decisions by conducting research before making purchases, reading reviews before trying new recipes, planning itineraries for getaways and day trips, putting thought into projects at home and clarifying nearly every piece of information presented.

It is a tool and a freedom I am thankful to have, especially today.

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