Jonathan Meyer.

As of this week’s paper, I will be 14 weeks into my stay at the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle. Now I don’t want to say everything has been easy by any means, I’ve experienced lots of late nights and cut many deadlines close.

Through the ups and downs that is local reporting, I’ve come to find, if you don’t find a new challenge and venture outside the box, things will become stale very quickly. This week I have decided to lay out a proposal to the powers that be. Let’s take a deep dive into what we can do to make the newspaper flourish.

Rebranding

Now here is a minor tweak that sets up all my ideas nicely. Lets change from the Tama-Toledo News Chronicle to the Tama-Toledo News Company. This way we’re not limited by the boundaries that is print media. Our community needs much more than just print and here’s how to do it.

A new approach

With changing times comes a need for changing sources of information. In my grand plan for the paper, we will transform into a broadcast media company with 24/7 coverage of the community. Our reach will be infinite and no stone will be left unturned.

Hire top talent

Go big or go home, let’s bring in some top national broadcast talent to coverage of Tama, Toledo, Chelsea, Meskwaki, and all of rural Tama county included in our coverage area. I feel we could secure some top broadcast journalists of our time, Wolf Blitzer, Ron Steele, Diane Sawyer, George Stephanopoulos, Ron Burgundy, and yours truly. Names like these will bring a fresh and ultra professional style of journalism.

Get on TV

I’m sure with the additional staff members we add, someone will have connections to get us on the air somewhere. This is one of those details that will work itself out without fail.

Create compelling stories

With all of our ducks in a row to start 24/7 broadcasting we will be able to investigate some of the top issues facing our community: Where really is the Tama-Toledo border, what really happens at coffee club, the disappearance of the beef gristle mill, the teen oversleeping epidemic, the largest potholes in Tama County by circumference and diameter. So many compelling stories desperately require reporting. An informed community is a safer community.

Takeaways

In all seriousness, I have been having so much fun writing for the newspaper and would not change a thing! My personal column is such a fun way to end a week of writing. Sticking to the facts all week can get pretty limiting, by having a creative outlet I’ve kept my work fun and exciting week after week.

Sarcasm, satire, and exaggeration are some of my favorite elements in writing that I simply don’t get to play with while trying to fill the shoes of a local reporter. Mixing my love of Ron Burgundy and my passion for this community is a highlight every week. I hope you continue to enjoy Just Jonathan, and please, oh please, don’t take yourself too seriously.