Ann Marie Dotson

As an editorial assistant and news clerk, I was responsible for answering the phones, greeting and assisting customers as the first point of contact in the newsroom and ordering supplies. One of my key responsibilities was the obituary section, which included checking the obituary email, making sure they ran on the correct date, meeting daily deadlines, collecting credit card payments from customers and checking content for errors, contacting the funeral homes if necessary.

I was also responsible for assisting the editor by typing letters to the editor and helping with various other special sections, like for election coverage. I also was responsible for typing in deeds, restaurant inspections, building permits, news for the neighbors section (school and business accomplishments, honor rolls, deans lists etc.), I also handled wedding, engagement and anniversary announcements.

As a reporter, I came up with story ideas or wrote stories based on what was assigned by the managing editor. I conducted interviews and established connections with my sources, which included organizations, businesses and individuals. I wrote many types of stories, but focused mainly on feature articles and previews of events. My attention to detail and focus on accuracy helped me to create content for the paper that readers could trust.