I'm feeling contemplative as I approach the end of my fourth year as a community journalist with Black Press Media.
Suffice it to say, life has taken me on a journey that I was not expecting.
While I was alright at writing in high school, becoming a professional wordsmith was never on my bingo card as far as potential career options.
Some days, I still can't believe that I've been blessed enough to find myself in the position I am in, especially with the doom and gloom coming out of a lot of news organizations throughout North America.
Things have definitely changed in the media landscape, even in the nearly four years I have been a working journalist.
Newsroom staff have shrunk, print runs have changed (we've said goodbye to the Castor Advance and Bashaw Star) and like many in the industry, we're doing more with fewer resources, but we're still here telling stories that matter to the community.
And what I am doing is resonating.
I hear regularly from people in the public that they like the direction I've taken the Stettler Independent.
As a writer for the Stettler Independent, I am eligible to submit my work to the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association (AWNA), which has awards every year.
Since starting in my role in 2021, I have won awards for 2022, 2023, and most recently, 2024.
Presented in June, I won a third-place award for a four-part series I wrote looking at bats and renewable energy in Alberta and an Honourable Mention for coverage of a musical production put on by Wm. E Hay's Wildcat Theatre.
These stories matter. They allow me to give a voice to the voiceless and highlight things happening in the community that would otherwise slide under the radar.
Winning awards three years straight tells me I am definitely on the right track.
And the even better part of this is that the work is meaningful. I make a difference in the community by telling my stories.
I love what I do, and I do what I can, but unfortunately, I can't be everywhere. Also, if I don't know about things, I definitely can't cover them.
Please continue to call us at 403-742-2395 or email me story tips to kevin.sabo@stettlerindependent.com.
Change is challenging, but we’re adapting—so I can keep telling meaningful stories and giving this community the voice it deserves.
-Kevin Sabo is the editor of the Stettler Independent and a journalist for Black Press Media