One of my favorite newsroom leaders in Cincinnati used to like to repeat, “Change is the only constant.”
His point is that none of us in daily journalism should feel daunted by the challenges that inevitably arise as we pursue the vital public service of informing local residents about events and issues and delivering “sense of place” stories that inform and entertain them.
On Sept. 28, one such visible aspect of change occurs: The D&C Digital signs come down from our former offices at 245 East Main St. in Rochester.
The Democrat and Chronicle moved offices the week of Aug. 31 to coworking space in Henrietta. Newspaper employees now have the option to work in a modern environment at Spot Coworking, located on Goodway Drive off of Winton Road.
The
move reflects how many people operate in our 2020s era of hybrid work arrangements, when video meeting technology enables any of us to work as effectively from our home living rooms as in an office environment. There are still moments when multiple people will gather in the office – employee lunchtime brown-bag gatherings and Election Night results reporting – but the era of being in the office 9 to 5 is very much in the rear-view mirror.
Instead, we have breaking news reporter Victoria E. Freile working before dawn at home writing up overnight public-safety incidents or snowstorm stories. Instead, we have photographer Shawn Dowd out and about photographing anything from restaurant interiors to high school girls soccer games. Instead, we have social media journalist Marili Vaca at festivals and news events shooting vertical video not only for www.democratandchronicle.com but for our social media platforms on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
When the D&C's Main Street offices opened in May 2016 on the site of the former Midtown Plaza mall, the mounting of the “D&C Digital” sign on the corner building was rightly celebrated. That was a moment in our 193-years-and-counting history as a local news operation serving Rochester and environs.
As that sign comes down, we remain the D&C and we remain a digital news operation. This moment simply signifies that change always has been and always will be the truth of the news business.
Indeed, the newspaper called The Balance that launched in the young city of Rochester in 1833 eventually went through numerous name and office changes and adjustments in approaches based on audience needs and new technology such as the telegraph and later the camera and still later the internet. It underwent over the past two centuries many changes in ownership and leadership and format.
Today, that newspaper whose format we would barely recognize has given way to the printed Democrat and Chronicle and to www.democratandchronicle.com and to our social media posts and video. We are a proud news site in USA TODAY Co., which is a vital force in our nation’s news ecosystem.
As times change, we’ve changed with them. And what a journey it has been. Here’s to what’s ahead of us, and of you, our valued audience.
Thank you.
Mike Kilian is executive editor. Reach him at mkilian@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: As D&C Digital sign comes down, news team looks to future
