Thanks to 2 who delivered the news

By Adam Earnheardt

It might surprise you to learn that I read news the “old fashion” way.

Yes, I occasionally read news online, but it’s the print edition that I find most satisfying.

Each morning, I walk to our box at the end of the driveway, collect The Vindicator, walk back to the house and perform the same ritual I’ve performed for the last ten years since moving to Youngstown.

With a cup of coffee nearby, I methodically scrutinize the print version until my cup is empty.

Okay. Sometimes two cups.

And okay. I don’t read every story. But when the coffee is gone (and usually cold), I move on.

We continue to pay for home delivery of The Vindicator for two reasons.

First, as strange as this might sound, we view our $17-a-month home delivery bill like we do our other public utility payments.

Second, I like the subtle hint of ink stains on my fingers after a particularly long cup of coffee.

A new reason that I didn’t really consider until this week: I also like the reliability of getting my news the same way, in the same format, at the same time every morning I have for the last ten years.

So, I was saddened to learn that, at the end of this week, our long-time Vindicator delivery person, Faye Davis, is retiring. Coincidentally, I also learned that Vindicator social media manager, Sean Ferguson, is moving on to a new job.

In many ways, both Vindicator employees have very different jobs.

But in one very important way, they have the same job: reliable, consistent delivery of the news.

Davis drives all over God’s creation (i.e., the Valley) in the wee hours of the morning, delivering newspapers from the window of her small car, illuminated by her interior lights. I know this because I had the good fortune to chat with Davis several mornings over the years while my kids waited for the bus.

In contrast, Ferguson reliably “delivered” the news by way of Vindicator social media feeds, attracting a worldwide audience to the stories impacting our region.

Ferguson was my former student and mentee, but made an impression on his Vindicator co-workers in a very short time.

As for Davis, I don’t know her well, but I know her well enough to say thanks by way of this column, something a little more than the small holiday tip we send each year in the form of a restaurant gift card.

So, I raise my cup to Davis for bringing the news every morning — without a missed paper in ten years. And to Ferguson, onward and upward.

Thanks for being a part of a team that brings us real news every day in print and online, and the confidence that The Vindicator will be there when I walk to the end of the driveway.

Adam Earnheardt is chair of the department of communication at Youngstown State University. Follow him on Twitter at @adamearn. Have a column idea? Email him at acearnheardt@gmail.com.