We stand on the shoulders of giants. Humans are social creatures, we rely on the work of others because we can’t do everything ourselves. We make decisions every day (usually subconsciously) about which sources, data and opinions we can trust. The most important thing I learned in university was from my first year psychology professor: “question your sources”. Even people who make extreme efforts to be unbiased and to present relevant and correct data have a bias. When you pick up a newspaper (or turn to the TV or internet news) you should question how truthful and reliable the sources are, and you should ask “why is this important or interesting to me?” Sometimes it is just entertainment, but it is good to be aware of which is which.
I am new to this job, and have very little experience, besides my annoying habit of asking “why?” It is going to be a very big challenge for me, especially since for the first time in my life, I am trying to do something as a profession, something that is tied with who I am. There is no going back; many people in this area will now know me as the associate editor before they ever even meet me, and some who don’t know me well will change their opinion of me based on my job. Even people I know well will ask me if I am doing something as “me” or as the “reporter” or the “editor”, and in reality, that’s all tied into one now. I am the same person, just a little different now. I am exercising some cognitive muscles that I didn’t even known were there a few months ago. I am nervous; I am downright scared. But that is not going to stop me from trying.
I will make mistakes, I am a mere human, but I hope that the readers of this paper and the residents of this valley will know that I am trying, I will be working hard, and I have the best interests of these communities at heart. I thank Laura and the Rocky Mountain Goat for giving me this opportunity, and I thank you as well, for reading this, and deciding to take the first step. I hope I can earn the trust and faith you put in me when you choose to read something I’ve written.
By: Korie Marshall, Associate Editor
