Mike Wolcott: A true community journalist
When it comes down to true community journalism, a topic that for some time has been over looked by mainstream news media, it is no doubt that small cities have the best opportunities for an aspiring young journalist.
Over at the Chico Enterprise-Record, editor Mike Wolcott has worked diligently to create an atmosphere where opinions are respected and the true sense of community journalism is still alive and well.
“The lessons you learn at a small newspaper stay with you the rest of your life,” Wolcott says, “Meeting people face-to-face and having people recognize you in the market and complain about a story are all part of the growing process.”
As Wolcott got his start in the field of journalism in a city much smaller than Chico, there is much to learn from someone who comes with a passion for objective reporting for the community you are involved with.
Many of Wolcott’s stories have an aura and true sense of inclusivity with the community that he has built up around him and his office, including a deep dive into the memory of a time before social distancing. This includes invitations to a Pizzapalooza as he called it, where he invited readers to come into the Enterprise office and for some pizza and conversation about anything they wanted to discuss as long as they remained civil.
When asked about the different aspects of a reporter and an editor, Wolcott stated, “I do find it more enjoyable and rewarding, although I also loved every step of every path that brought me to this position.”
As stressful as it is to be a journalist trying to find time to manage deadlines and juggle many stories at once, I wondered how someone like Wolcott handled both himself and his team of reporters.
“I love the adrenaline rush of deadlines and I think I work better that way,” Wolcott responded, “I do emphasize to my staff almost every day they need balance. They need to take time off. They need to get completely away from what we do and live their lives, because it’s too easy to be all-consumed, all-the-time by this.”
Wolcott joked that he is a “clock-watcher” and that he probably drives his wife crazy since she is not the same way. When I heard this from him, I realized that having a sense of urgency and the want and passion for community journalism is really what makes Wolcott who he really is.
When I asked these questions, it opened my eyes to the overarching theme of what Wolcott really does as his job at the Enterprise-Record. He is the face of the newspaper that embodies the spirit of objective, community journalism.
“We’ve never had a better chance to be seen as the one place that DOES present news fairly. It’s a tougher sell given all of the partisanship but I fight for it every day.”
