Mary Callahan: Readers are the reason we do what we do

Few people passing by a newspaper sales rack or retrieving one from the front porch in the morning think to imagine what goes into producing a daily publication. It can be daunting, confounding, exhausting, exhilarating – and a true privilege to bring the news of the day to readers, up-to-the-minute online and in a digestible print format.

But increasingly, it’s also part of a conversation with the people in the areas we cover who care about how prepared we are as a community to face the future, whether the people in charge are discharging their duties responsibly, how the public can play a role in building a more just society or simply how much rain just fell or where the fire is.

As one of the senior reporters at The Press Democrat, one who has lived through the highs and lows of nearly 30 years -- both at our newspaper and in the overall journalism industry -- I am grateful every day for our devoted local ownership and for fresh newsroom management that has inspired the staff to be bolder and reach farther to fulfill our role as storytellers and truth-seekers.

But we couldn’t do it without you: our readers, our loyal supporters. You literally are the reason we do what we do. You are the reason we gather facts and images, ask the necessary questions and shed light in dark places.

In this profession, we believe profoundly that we are doing the public’s work, but we can only do it with your help. So thank you, sincerely.

Mary Callahan

Environment and climate change reporter