Jill's Journal: A journey with the Journal staff
Just when I think I know where I’m going, reality slaps me in the face.
And that’s what unfolded last week when Carl, Kim and I set out for Huron to the South Dakota NewsMedia Association convention.
We hit the road early that morning, as 8:30 was our target time to arrive in Huron. I was confident that I knew the route there without fail. Head to Mitchell on I-90, get off at the second exit and proceed north.
We did that.
But what I didn’t calculate into the planned route, was too much talking as the wheels rolled down the highway and not paying enough attention to the signage. As it turns out, I missed a turn, and before you know it, we were in unfamiliar territory. We estimated that I steered us about 20 miles off of our intended course
Carl, riding shotgun, got us back on track, thanks to modern technology.
Our day in Huron was a good one. We learned more about AI and how it can help us in our newsroom production. One thing we learned, though, is while AI can do some things to lessen the burden, it surely can’t cover a city council or school board meeting like a human can.
I do use AI, but at this point, only to transcribe interviews. It’s a toss-up on how much time the program actually saves me, because it does take some time to “transcribe” the transcription. It tosses in words that in no way have anything to do with the topic at hand. I mean, how does a heavy green frog have anything to do with a story on heavy fog? You get the gist.
As you will read in this week’s issue, the Brandon Valley Journal fared quite well in the Better Newspaper Contest. We were fortunate to bring home 16 awards, which includes the Sweepstakes Awards for Weeklies over 1,301.
I’m proud of the work that my staff and I churn out each week, and delighted to be recognized, no matter if it’s a paper certificate or a wooden plaque.
As for our ride home, Carl hauled out his trusty cell phone and got us on the right road home.
As we inch closer to the start of our eighth year, I’m thankful for the staff that works hand in hand to produce our weekly publications. And that’s the real ‘journey with the Journal.’
