Sharing the drive behind our passion, our purpose

By MARK S. VASCHE
Editor and Senior Vice President

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

I work with an amazing group of people -- they're bright, they're talented, they're dedicated, they're conscientious, they're hardworking.

They're the men and women who report, edit, photograph, organize and produce the daily miracle that you're reading right now. And despite these times of great change and challenge, they remain committed to providing the relevant and reliable public service journalism that has been the hallmark of The Modesto Bee for more than 70 years.

Assisted by equally dedicated workers in our company's other divisions, The Bee's journalists produce a newspaper -- and a companion round-the-clock online site -- that inform, educate, enlighten and entertain.

On The Hive: Reaction to Vasche column

Why do they do it, each and every day? And why will they continue doing it?

Who better to answer those questions than the journalists themselves? Over the next two Sundays, they'll be doing just that. Today some of our reporters and editors share, in their own words, the passion and purpose behind what they do.

Garth Stapley, growth and transportation reporter:

Journalism done right helps:

Keep innocent people out of jail.

Put the guilty where they belong.

Remind officeholders that they serve real people.

Expand people's range of reaction.

Keep everyone connected to the human family.

Shine a light in otherwise dark corners.

Remind people why freedom is important.

Pay my bills.

Except for that last point, this list doesn't appear terribly personal, on the surface. But it is. I believe our towns, cities and all of society would be much different without the constant exchange of information. We would be poorer, dumber and more fearful.

A free press helps to enlighten, inform and engage. People are much more likely to contribute to the good of all when they know what's going on. Knowledge breeds confidence -- in our leaders, in our way of life and in ourselves.

I can't imagine not being a part of that.

Mike Dunbar, associate editor:

Our reason for being, our importance to society is that we help others understand what is happening all around them. We provide information but also context; details and the broader picture; data and a look at human nature. Our job is to tell stories in a way that allows readers to realize how what is happening affects their lives.

Our jobs as journalists are as important to our way of life, our democracy, as the jobs of any police officer or firefighter or schoolteacher -- which is why you'll find us in the classrooms, in the midst of burning forests and at the scene of the crime. No one does it for the money; we do it out of respect for those who depend on us to bring them the news.

Our mission is to tell stories; our goal is to get it right.

Eve Hightower, business reporter:

We don't wield guns while chasing down bad guys. We don't cut into people's chests to mend hearts. We don't spend millions of taxpayers' money. And we don't build bridges. But we tell you if those other guys are doing their jobs. That information is powerful enough to save money and lives. That's why I do what I do.

Mike Doyle, Washington Bureau correspondent:

The nation's capital can seem a remote and foreign place, very far away from the San Joaquin Valley. And yet the decisions made in Washington strike home every day. Congress, the courts and the White House all touch valley lives. As a Washington Bureau correspondent, I consider myself a translator of sorts. I try to help people make sense of how Washington works and why it matters.