The Moose Jaw Express and Atria Mulberry Estates tried something new this week as part of a novel program at the retirement home called “News with Friends.”
Residents attended the activity room on the afternoon of April 18 for a unique presentation with a local reporter, and I was asked to participate in the role. I agreed without hesitation.
The purpose was to facilitate socializing and brought residents together in a group setting all while having a little fun. It’s part of the Mulberry Estates’ programming routine and the home’s marketing manager, Tricia Oblander, likes to mix things up from time to time.
I should disclose that I’m not a television or radio broadcast reporter, and my role entails written articles exclusively. Still, I’m always up for a new challenge.
To begin my talk, I explained some principles about the discipline of journalism.
Journalism can be described as “the discipline of verification,” and it’s our job to ensure the information we provide is fair and balanced, accurate, and truthful. The discipline requires a strong attention to the facts and satisfies what seems to be a human instinct for knowledge of what’s happening outside of our own vantage point. People can grow anxious without knowing about the world around them, and this has probably never been truer than in today’s age of rapid change.
You can learn a lot about society by reading the stories it shares, and these address its fears, strengths, interests, and ambitions.
“If it bleeds, it leads” is a common news media principle in modern times, but our publication tries to focus on the positive aspects – this was the focus of my presentation. I wanted to show the group how we go about doing this.
What I mean by focusing on the positive is this: rather than our publication focusing on crimes, deaths, and violent sensationalism, we wish to highlight the abundance of positivity going on in our community. The generous acts of simple, everyday residents deserve as much airtime as any other topic, and we try to address a meaningful solution when concerns are brought up – rather than simply ruminating in negativity.
The role is crucial for a healthy society, and it’s our purpose to give citizens the tools and information they need to make their own informed decisions. It enables us to share a common language and address the same fears, concerns, and goals in the spirit of community. We as reporters give a voice to those who are underrepresented yet deserving, and it’s only with a unified voice that citizens can enact real-world change.
I then asked for a volunteer to demonstrate how we conduct interviews and find a newsworthy lede. I wasn’t expecting the project to take the course that it did.
My volunteer, Dee, started off by introducing herself and said she was originally from Winnipeg. On retiring, she and her family moved to Moose Jaw, and she found Atria Mulberry Estates to be the best match for her.
My plan was taking shape in my mind, and I was thinking about, perhaps, a comparison of the standard of living in each province, or an exploration of what makes this retirement home stand out.
After explaining my thought process, I dug a bit deeper. I explained to the group that I wanted to learn more about Dee, so I asked her what made Moose Jaw a good place to live.
She said people are generous and welcoming, and the historic downtown really stands out. I asked her which shops she prefers to visit, and she pointed out that she can’t do a lot of shopping due to accessibility concerns – she’s in a wheelchair, after all.
The room lit up the moment she voiced this concern. I asked if anyone else experienced these concerns, and almost everyone nodded “yes.” We dug even deeper, and the residents started to “take over” the discussion and were delighted to know their experiences and concerns were being addressed and can now be given a shot at real-world change – which I fully intend to follow up on.
What I believe to be one of the highlights of the presentation was an active demonstration that journalism isn’t a dying field – in today’s age of information overload, social media echo chambers and confusion, it’s perhaps more relevant than ever before.
I’ll never forget the atmosphere of the room that day, as it transformed into more than just a demonstration of journalism – the discipline came to life before my eyes.
On behalf of the Moose Jaw Express, I would like to thank Tricia Oblander and the staff and residents at Atria Mulberry Estates for the opportunity to share a few words on the work that we do.
