Hey y’all, I’m William Dean. Starting today, I am the Preston County beat reporter.
I’ve been with The Dominion Post since May 2017, starting as a general assignment reporter. I briefly covered schools, but most of my time here has been spent as the cops and courts reporter for Monongalia County.
I learned a lot while covering cops and courts, which includes all emergency services, such as firefighters and EMS workers. I’ve learned how to talk to people on some of the worst days of their lives — or the best. I became familiar with how the courts work in both civil and criminal matters. I developed my own writing style and became comfortable talking to just about anybody about anything.
All of those skills will serve me as I cover cops and courts — and more — in Preston County.
I believe journalism, especially at the local level, is extremely important.
One of the most serious tasks local journalists have is that of the fourth estate — keeping an eye on officeholders and matters of public interest.
Elected officials at all levels, from the county commission and board of education to town councils, meet regularly and make decisions that affect the lives of their constituents. Even the typically boring and generally routine meetings by appointed officials, such as zoning boards, have the power to influence residents’ lives. It’s not reasonable to expect the average person to attend every meeting. There are certainly issues that draw crowds, but by and large, in my experience, public meetings are unattended, or lightly so. Yet everyone deserves to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how the choices made by elected officials will impact them.
That’s what reporters are for. It’s not my job to judge what an elected body does, but it is my job to let its voters know what it is doing. If there is opposition to a proposal, I want to share that point of view. Not every story has two sides: Some have one; some have five.
Usually, being a journalist is straight reporting. But sometimes, being a journalist means being a go-between. Residents may have trouble bringing their problems to officials who care, or they might not know how. As a journalist, I will listen and bring attention to those problems.
Journalism should also be used to celebrate a place and the accomplishments of the people who live there.
I’ve been over to Preston County for the Buckwheat Festival, as well as hiking at Coopers Rock and fishing in Little Sandy Creek.
I’m looking forward to experiencing more of Preston County and sharing those experiences. So, please, tell me about the fun and cool things to do in your county. Where should I eat? Who has been farming for generations? What do you think makes Preston unique and special?
My email is wdean@dominionpost.com and I am always happy to talk. My office number is 304-291-9444. If you see me running around, don’t hesitate to say “hi.”
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