Community journalism can lead to bond with readers
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
As journalists, we are often on the outside looking in — from city council meetings to social and political rallies, HERO Walks and holiday parades, we are simply there to observe and report on what we see and hear.
But at small newspapers here and across the country, reporters can form close connections with our subjects and become part of people’s lives, for better or worse.
We see their highlights and lowlights, from academic and sports accomplishments to graduations and promotions or, on the flipside, election failures, losses of property in storms, arrests and deaths.
From triumphs at the ballot box, in the classroom or on the playing field — such as the Mainland Mustang Marching Band winning the Atlantic Coast Championship or the Ocean City High School girls soccer team winning the state Group III title — to the agony of defeat, we are there, capturing the moment for those who could not be present or to create a record of what took place.
I had the pleasure earlier this month of meeting a 99-year-old Ocean City man who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and helped liberate a Nazi concentration camp — a true American hero.
Through our work, we become part of the fabric of the community. Because we are so visible, we sometimes are asked to do things outside our traditional duties, such as the one I was part of this recently.
Due to changing work conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been taking a lot of photographs for the paper this year. When Shannon Campbell, assistant city clerk in Northfield, was trying to think of a way to capture a special moment, she immediately thought of asking me.
“Do you do any photography on the side?’ she asked. “My son is looking to propose to his girlfriend out at Birch Grove by the fountain and does not want family members to do it because he is afraid she will see us.”
I had to warn her that I am not exactly an award-winning photographer but more of a reporter with a camera.
“You’ve done some nice stuff, I trust you,” she responded, adding, “It will be better than what I could do.”
Trust is a very fine thing from a reporter’s perspective, even given that bit of hedging, so I agreed to do it.
I was not exactly the Boy Scout type when I was young, but I do believe in being prepared. So I met Spencer Campbell at the park and we discussed location, time of day, lighting and whatnot, then scheduled a time for his big day.
After receiving a text from the 24-year-old Mainland Regional High School graduate (2014), I left for the park, arriving shortly after 2 p.m. The day was breezy and cool with plenty of sunshine, perfect for the occasion. I waited on a bench for him and his intended — Gabriella Simmons, 22, of Somers Point (MRHS 2016) — to pass me, then got up and moved into position to shoot the action.
Campbell was a little quick on his delivery and down on one knee before I could start shooting, but I was able to capture the moment just like he and his mother had envisioned. And, on a positive note, Simmons said “Yes!,” much to my relief. It would have been quite awkward if she hadn’t.
The location for the proposal was appropriate — and gave me the idea for this column — because Campbell’s family has a multigenerational connection with the park.
The walkways around the lake are called “Flora’s Walk” in honor of his great-grandmother Flora Dickinson. Dickinson and Campbell’s grandmother Sue Dickinson were original executive board members of the nonprofit Friends of Birch Grove Park, which formed in 1990. The group raised funds to build both of the playgrounds. There is also “Flora’s Garden,” a little fenced-in area dedicated in her honor that is maintained to this day by the Dickinson family.
Flora also was active in the park’s family events, the city’s garden club and Girl Scouts.
“You would be hard-pressed to find Northfield residents of a certain generation who can think of the park without thinking of Flora,” City Clerk Mary Canesi said.
In addition, Shannon Campbell’s father, Jim Dickinson, worked as technical assistant to the construction official for 18 years. Now she plays a role in city government.
So for journalists, being part of the community — I also happen to live in Northfield — creates a special connection and a commitment to covering events, be they public or personal.
Thank you, Spencer and Gabby, for letting me be part of your special day.
