The editor of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle, one of the nation's leading Christian regional newspapers, is leaving to take another position. Here are his thoughts and insights after six years in the job--they can be instructive to those considering media work. More at www.mcchronicle.com.
What this job has done for me
by Bryan Malley
When I started as editor of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle in January 2003, I always told people, candidly, that I thought I’d be here for no more than five years.
Here we are in January 2009, exactly six years later, and I’m wondering where the time has gone as I prepare to take a new job.
Back then, five years seemed like an eternity to me. I was relatively fresh out of college, in a new dating relationship, and had no idea what the future might hold—except that I had just agreed to become the new editor of an established, highly respected local Christian community newspaper that I had barely ever read.
Was I up for it? Would anyone be interested in hearing what I had to say? Who am I to decide what stories get told, and what great stories don’t get told, each issue? Could I handle the certain criticism?
Let’s just say I possessed a healthy sense of self-doubt about my new job as I set foot in the office on my first day. It was immediately more “exciting” than I bargained for. Turns out it was press day! The previous editor had already moved on two weeks prior, and big decisions needed to be made—even before I had a chance to set my box of office stuff down on my new desk.
We got through that first issue just fine, and it didn’t take me too long to get into a groove of writing, editing and issue production. Five months into the job, just as I was “getting it down,” I was given a leave of absence to work at summer camp one last time.
I returned from the summer engaged to my now wife and excited to find that editorial groove again. I started working hard to make what I considered to be improvements to the paper.
It was not a quick process, and it was certainly not always an easy process, but we did our best to self-evaluate content and design of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle with a focus on increasing readership and living out our mission to uplift godly harmony and unity in the local body of Christ.
Over time we expanded local editorial space, increased our focus on local Christian organizations doing unique service, expanded the scope of issues we addressed, and redesigned many graphic elements of the publication to reflect current visual styles.
I have had a lot of help along the way, and it has been my privilege to work with some amazing and dedicated brothers and sisters in Christ.
The skilled freelance writers who have helped me fill the pages over the years have been our eyes and ears all over the Twin Cities. The stories they have told on our pages have affected the lives of many believers and non-believers alike.
The many new editorial contributors I have worked with have really helped bring balance and new perspectives to our pages with grace and style. It has been my goal that our pages could be a place where civil Christian discussion could take place on issues that really matter, and for the most part, we have succeeded.
As I get ready to hand the reins over to a new editor, I mostly just feel privileged to have served such a great readership and local Christian community. I’ve met many wonderful people and made many great new friends in ministry through my time as editor. And I’ve always been encouraged by the work done, and often the unity displayed, by Christians in Minnesota.
I will look forward to becoming another faithful reader and supporter of this ministry throughout the coming years.
God bless.
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