“So how do you describe your job?” a gal asked me a few weeks ago.

I think our job is pretty easy to explain, “We're an online ONLY, news source only.”

After saying that, I was then asked, “You don't print?”

No, we aren't in print.

The next question is usually, “How does that work? Do you work from home?”

This is where I grin and say, “If it's like today, we work on the road” and gesture toward the laptop.

Over the years we've had people ask us how do cover the news, like a friendly neighbor or like a "real"professional news reporter. For some reason the idea that we can't be both bothers me.

The short and simple answer is this, "Yes."

In our last 5 years, well before that, we've tried really, really hard to not just be a news guy and gal, but first and foremost, your friends and neighbors.

Why?

Because we live here.

We'll probably always live here.

We plan to stick around.

Many times as we report, we first think of, “How is this going to affect everyone that we know?”

Our second thought is, "What are the facts?"

For example, as soon as we heard about the last tragedy, we discussed what we should do, from a news perspective. We had most of the facts almost immediately and decided to sit on that information until it was officially released. We could have broken more information much more quickly but our first thoughts were these.

“If we put this information out now, it will only feed the media frenzy from other towns, causing them to come in and get in everyone's face more quickly.”

We've seen it happen in our very own yard.

A few years ago, as our neighbors, a WWII Veteran and his wife, sat in the back of an ambulance parked in our driveway Soon the news cameras were outside banging on the ambulance door wanting an interview, no, I'm not exaggerating.

That was one of the first times that it was clear that we didn't want to be that guy.

As our last family grieved, the cameras were again there, not out of concern, as a neighbor, but as reporters. As our EMT's left the scene they were hounded by reporters with cameras, wanting an interview.

Our first thought was, “Oh no, one of our kids are hurt.” Second thought, “I had better start praying for her and her family and those involved right away.”

Now honestly, I'm not trying to pull any kind of “holier than thou” thing here, I'm just saying, when WE hear bad news in Vinton our reaction is NOT, “We must get this on the website, NOW!” It's usually something much deeper and heartfelt like, “Oh please, NOOOO!”

Our concern is always you, our community, our friends, our neighbors.

Our third thought was that we will break our sensitive information out, ONLY when everyone else has received the information from our police or Sheriff's department.

Being first to report something is not our goal.

It's usually how it is, just because that's the way it is, but it's not necessarily what we strive for.

We look for the stories that you care about.

We also care about the people in the stories.

Something you won't get from the big guys. Why? Because they aren't "us”.

Often at our house when something sensitive happens and the news guys come along and cover it, they pull out the big guns when they report, they use adjectives like “A chilling development” or “A DRAMATIC case...”

While that's all fine and good, I guess, we feel like it does nothing to calm the nerves of an already upset community.

Fortunately, we are in the place to give you the facts, and just that.

We don't embellish the story or go all “Hollywood Box Office” in our reporting. We simply find the facts and as gently and carefully as we can, we report the sensitive news stories.

After the event, you usually don't see a big city reporter in town again until the next crisis.

We, however, try to follow up and tie up all the loose ends, not in a “reporter” sort of way, but in the “we're your neighbors and is there anything else that you need us to say” sort of way.

It's never easy reporting the bad stuff knowing it will bring the big bad wolves to town, but sometimes, news is after all, news.

One of our readers sent us a note that said, “You are doing a great job, this is the only news source that I go to on a daily basis. Vinton Today is the only news source that I trust is telling me the truth, all of the time.”

When your readers tell you that, you know that you've been doing your job right.

Now while we are your friends and neighbors, it's hard for this part of the conversation.

We really can't do this without all of you. We need your financial support.

We only ask you one time a year, but when we do, it means that we really DO need your help.

No we aren't going to pull out dramatic words like “We are in DIRE need” but we do need everyone to do what they can.

We know many of you read ONLY Vinton Today when you want Vinton news, and we are proud that you do. But now we need you to do us the favor of backing up how you feel about Vinton Today with a donation. If all of our readers would chip in just a few bucks, we could get out of your hair a lot faster!

This is the ONLY part I hate about this job, needing to ask you for a little bit of your hard earned money to keep us going.

Please take a minute. It is now convenient for you to donate, you can do it online. Simply click here!

If you are like me and you prefer to write a check, you can address it to, “Vinton Today Fundraiser” P.O. Box 477, Vinton, Iowa 52349.

And again, from the bottom of our hearts, we say, “Thank you!”