At a recent gathering of people invested in preserving and improving our community’s access to local news, there was a lot of talk about the next generation of journalists. One of the speakers said when she was a student some 20 years ago, she was told journalism is a dying profession. I, too, heard these things when I was in journalism school and graduated just in time to see what, for many newsrooms, was the first round of layoffs in what would become a very long, frightening trend that persists today.
I don’t know if I will get the opportunity to retire from a career in journalism. What I do know is I am privileged to have a staff of seasoned journalists, some of whom have spent most or all of their careers telling the stories of our community.
I am preparing to celebrate one of those people. Laura Lane will reach an incredible milestone this year. She began her career at The Herald-Times 40 years ago this month. She has covered cops and courts most of that time, something it takes a very special person to do. It’s a tough beat. It’s full of tragedy and loss. It’s full of other people’s most heart-wrenching pain. It requires that we call people who don’t want to hear from us and ask them questions they don’t want to answer. In 40 years, Laura has seen more death and suffering and loss than most people could bear to witness.
She also has been a staunch fighter for people’s right to know, holding public officials accountable whether they wear a badge, hold a gavel or sit in an office telling other people what to do. She has trudged into homeless camps and sat on benches in places many of us don’t go to gain the trust of people we’ll never talk to.
All the while, Laura has rooted out stories about friends and neighbors, stories that give us hope, inspire us, or just make us more connected to one another. And, for more than 20 years, she’s given us all a reason to care about cars because she tells us the stories of the people who own them.
That’s why I am so excited to celebrate Laura’s contribution to news in Bloomington and the small towns that surround it by throwing a party in her honor. On Oct. 24 at The Mill we are inviting 100 people to join us for a night to say thank you to Laura. There will be desserts and toasts, stories and laughter. There is a suggested donation of $50 and space is limited to the first 100 people to RSVP. If you come to Laura’s party you can meet not only Laura, but most of the people at The Herald-Times who keep you informed. We’re looking forward to honoring our dear friend and colleague.
At Laura’s request, donations will be deposited in the Local News Fund at the Community Foundation of Bloomington-Monroe County. This fund is dedicated to expanding access to local news in our community. I opened this fund with the proceeds from our archive sale and we hope through this event to add a little more to keep it growing.
Don’t worry: This isn’t a retirement party for Laura. She’s not ready to put down her notebook quite yet. This is a gathering of people who want to say “thank you” to Laura for being such an incredible person who has dedicating so much of her life to service in our community.
If you would like to request an invitation to this party, send an email to lauralane40years@gmail.com.
Jill Bond is news director for The Herald-Times. Reach her at jbond@heraldt.com.