Tough in the news game, but it's worth it

It would be fair to say that this is a tough industry - tough in the sense that alongside all the heartwarming or positive stories we do, there are those that the subjects would rather we didn't make public, or they would rather control the information and the way it is presented.

It means people can be defensive and guarded when approached, and sometimes downright hostile.

Still, getting to the bottom of certain situations is what we do.

Through the course of a week, month or year we cover myriad topics, revealing sporting success, noting business innovation and achievement, as well as exploring the workings of local government and health among other matters.

We do this in a commercial environment where the ideas you have are unlimited, as are the expectations of your readers, yet resources and space are constrained.

It is a challenge each day to find the right mix or stories and content to meet everyone's expectations.

Each day, the stories we write and present to you are pored over, providing a vital link into the community, an opportunity to comment on the big issues and contribute to the news agenda.

We educate, entertain and inform.

And what we do is subject to public scrutiny in much the same way as we pick over the affairs and activities of various organisations.

That in itself is a scary proposition. Imagine you are having a bad day at work; you don't feel 100 per cent but what you do will be viewed, assessed and analysed by 30,000 people.

Many will think they can do better, or will point to perceived deficiencies in your work or process.

And that's just from the outside.

Internally, we are constantly critiquing our own product, looking for ways to do better stories, different stories, and present them in a more appealing way.

We are always striving to find new initiatives and topics and reviewing the status quo to create a product that best serves our community.

In recent months, there have been new sections, new ways of covering the news and, just a few months ago, a whole new format for the paper.

Due to the fast-pace of news work, there is limited time for reflection on what worked or what we did well.

So it was nice this week to head away to our annual APN regional conference and awards and spend time with peers reflecting on how far we have come, the new developments and campaigns that have made a difference to the lives of our readers.

Many of you will have seen the success achieved by members of the Chronicle team in the awards as reported on Thursday.

It is a testament to the hard work that goes into producing your daily newspaper - across all departments, not just the newsroom.

It is no fluke, and hardly a one-off; the Chronicle has long been a star performer at industry awards.

But now, as then, we won't be resting on our laurels.

There is improvement to be made, quite aside from keeping pace with the technological advances we face.

Yes, it is a tough industry that demands a lot of those who work in it but the rewards in serving our loyal readers make that worthwhile.

Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz