After the heartbreaking shootings in Annapolis this week, a member of the Capital Gazette newsroom circulated a note on Facebook. It described the Capital Gazette as a local paper, a hometown paper, the sort of paper that covers the stories of the town’s oldest citizens and youth sports leagues. A heart-of-the-community paper.
As I read it, I couldn’t stop thinking how much it sounded like my Gazette. Our Gazette. Our small-stories-with-big-heart paper. Our deep-dive-investigations-that-wouldn’t-otherwise-get-the-time-of-day paper. Our place of record, of debate, of spirit and celebration. Our Gazette.
I know they’re grieving and shaken. We feel the ripples even this far north, in the sisterhood of community news.
The shooter, it is reported, was angry with the paper. Our reporters are no stranger to stiff debate and harsh disagreement. Our work is controversial at times, and our readers don’t hesitate to speak up. I’m sure the reporters of the Capital Gazette are familiar with this dynamic, too. I’m sure they do their jobs with the same integrity and determination that our Gazette reporters do.
While I’ve heard and seen my share of fierce criticism, I’ve never seen a reporter or editor lose their cool. Even the most heated critics are treated with respect and courtesy. I can only assume the reporters at the Capital Gazette held themselves to the same high standard.
I know this because the staff of the Capital Gazette put out a paper Friday morning. They covered their own shooting.
Since the shooting, I have imagined over and over again what it might feel like to see a gun at the door. My desk is the closest to the front; my face is often the first one people see when they walk in. I like being the welcome wagon, most days. I still do, even when the sound of the door makes me a little jumpy.
The jumpiness will settle down, I’m sure. In the meantime, our Gazette’s doors are open. We are careful, but not afraid. We will be smart, but not paranoid. Most importantly, our newsroom will continue to doggedly bring you the news of our community, the country and the world.
Dane Kuttler
Northampton
The writer is a member of the staff at the Daily Hampshire Gazette.