Always nice to visit with colleagues

It’s been two weeks now since our staff went north to Deadwood for the annual South Dakota NewsMedia Association  (SDNA) Convention.
The SDNA used to stand for the South Dakota Newspaper Association, but as times have changed and journalism has changed, the SDNA has had to adapt along with the times. No longer are the journalism outlets in South Dakota solely printed on newsprint. No, these days, there are a multitude of outlets that exist solely online. We print the stories from a couple of them in this paper frequently. In fact, the new president of the SDNA is Carson Walker, the CEO of South Dakota News Watch. He is the first president of the association that does not have a print version of his product.
Whenever we head off to these conventions, we have a lot of fun, win some awards (which you will find elsewhere in the pages of this issue) and learn a lot. It’s a time for journalists from around the state to come together, share some laughs, share some food, and enjoy each other’s company. We are sure there are many of you who are reading this editorial who are in fields of work that have annual conventions, or perhaps meet more frequently. It’s always a good time to get together with like-minded people to share ideas, share joys, share success, share disappointments and share failures. There isn’t anybody who can understand what you’re going through better than people who are going through the exact same thing, or at least have had to go through the exact same thing. It’s true camaraderie when we all get together.
One of the highlights of this year’s convention was seeing the film debut of what is known as the “Good People Project” that was put together by Degaje Studios. The film, which runs about 20 minutes, highlights the Brandon Valley Journal, and more importantly, the Journal’s recent struggles to stay alive in the face of dwindling advertising, dwindling subscriptions and a lack of staff. Brandon Valley Journal owner Jill Meier has been very frank about her struggles earlier this year, and we even wrote about it in this space. In order to remain solvent, she had to go start a GoFundMe and ask for donations so should could make her payroll. It was extremely brave on her part, but also sad that it came to that. This movie chronicles her journey from the launch of the paper 10 years ago to that touchstone moment when she had to ask for help. It also provides hope for the future, which I know all of us within the SDNA hope for both Hill and her newspaper.
What was especially nice about this year’s convention is the fact it took place close to home. Many times these conventions are across the state, which means few, if any of us, can attend. When it’s just up the road in Deadwood all of us who wanted to attend could do so. We were all able to learn together, laugh together and enjoy each other’s company without the hammer of deadlines and the confines of an office. It was nice.
We continue to thank you for your support. We know how lucky we are to work in this county. Your support means the world to us.