It’s not often a man my age finds himself the new kid on the block but going into my third week at the Demopolis Times, that’s exactly what I’ve become.

In the newspaper business, we have a term for that proverbial block. It’s called a beat.

The beat is the territory a reporter is assigned to cover, much like a sheriff’s deputy may work a beat covering several miles of highway.

Like that mythical sheriff’s deputy, my beat spans in all directions and encompasses parts of Demopolis and Linden.

For the past several weeks I’ve done my best to make my way around to meet the people I’ll be working with and contacting for story ideas and information.

For those of you I have yet to meet, I assure you that you remain high on my priority list and I’ll be heading your way soon.

I’ve found the community here very welcoming and I’m excited to be part of the direction of the Demopolis Times.

In spending time with news editor David Snow and sports editor Jeremy Smith, I’m convinced these men have the talent and drive to produce an excellent newspaper week after week.

I’m excited to sit beside them as we continue toward that goal.

Being a reporter was once thought upon as a noble profession.

Thanks to some serious gaffe’s on the national scene the sense of nobility has tarnished in the eyes of some. People claim the newest generation of professionals don’t read newspapers and they are a dying industry.

That’s not true at all.

A good newspaper will always be a valuable tool for the community. It keeps the community in contact with one another, albeit on newsprint, and it’s a clearinghouse for all things in and around your backyard.

These are exciting times at your Demopolis Times and I’m glad to be brought into the fray.

John Few is a reporter for the Demopolis Times.