‘How do you get the pictures in the paper?’

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer
   

Working for a weekly newspaper has several advantages.
    One of the major ones is establishing contacts and relationships in local communities.
    If you’re trying to cover 15 towns in a metropolitan area, you barely have time to get to know people on a first-name basis, much less become closely acquainted with them.

    But when you work for a smaller publication, you’re immediately recognized at the bank, grocery store, gas station, school and neighborhood tavern.
    That’s why I rarely turn down guest appearances, especially to kid’s groups — even though they’re often the toughest audience.
    I spoke to a group of Dexter Cub Scouts last week, explaining — as best I could — what I do for a living.
    Since I’m also a Grange “Bookworm” volunteer at Piscataquis Community Elementary School, I’m used to getting unexpected questions from that age group. But that doesn’t mean I come up with sensible answers.
    I got the evening off to a humorous start by telling the kids that I was celebrating my birthday, and asked them to guess my age.
    Answers ranged from 45 to 75. The higher number was a lot closer to the truth.
    I then did a show-and-tell with my camera bag, comparing it to a mechanic’s tool kit.
    They took a good look at the camera and asked how it worked. I gave them a brief primer on the old days when we had to use film. That generated a lot of puzzled looks.
    The first question was “How do you get the pictures in the paper?”
    The trick to responding to 8-year-olds is to make complicated answers as simple as possible. “When you or your parents take a picture, do they put it on your computer?”
    Almost everyone said “yes.”
    “Well, we do the same thing. I take this cord (the USB cable), plug it into the computer, pick out the photo I want and send it up to the print shop. Then they fix it and put it in the paper.”
    That answer prompted some follow-up questions.
“What’s a print shop?” “Where is it?” “Can you change the size of the picture?”
    Well, I tap-danced around a few queries as the other adults in the room grinned.
    I gave them a quick explanation of how a printing press works, where it was located — Presque Isle — and yes, we can change the size of any picture.
    They were also interested in the voice recorder, a lifesaver for lengthy public meetings.
    “So if you record stuff, why do you need a notebook?”
    Answer: “If the battery goes dead, I won’t have anything to write about.”
    My Slate 7 tablet also raised a few young eyebrows. “Why did you buy a small one?”
    Response: “It was on sale and fits in the camera case perfectly.”
    Many were fascinated by my Maine Principal’s Association press credential badge. “Can I get one of these? They’re cool!”
    I finished the evening by passing out rulers and notepads with the Observer logo. To some youngsters, it was like giving them a $20 bill. “Wow! Is this mine to keep?”
    It was a good way to spend my birthday, frankly.
    Who knows? A future Piscataquis Observer staff writer might have been in that audience.
    Mike Lange is a staff writer with the Piscataquis Observer. His opinions are his own and don’t necessarily reflect those of this newspaper.