Whatever media you use, the way you tell your story can make all the difference.
Articles
My fifth-grade teacher had a reputation: She assigned her students weekly compositions to write. There were a lot of complaints, but not from me. At age 10, I knew that I wanted to write for a living. It is still my favorite part of being a communicator. I learn so much with every piece I write, and it’s a wonderful feeling to pass that information on to others.
Advocate News, Wilton-Durant, Iowa - Here is an instance when I wrote a public relations piece for my current employer as an article for a newspaper. Then-editor of the Advocate News Kimberly Sloan was a guest on our "Libraries Alive!" talk show, which is still serving the interests of both Muscatine and Wilton. Her column about the experience ran along with my article.
Corridor Business Journal, Coralville, Iowa -Chuck Slack heightened his skills as a welder and fabricator to create "The Perfect Moon," a 14-foot-high mixed-metal sculpture that honors his workplace - the Iowa 80 Truck Stop and Museum in Walcott, Iowa - and the Moon family, who founded the facilities. Now in its second generation of management, what is also known as the World's Largest Truck Stop hosts an average of 5,000 visitors per day. The gleam of the sculpture's moon, which is made to stay shiny, will sparkle in many, many eyes.
Quad Cities Regional Business Journal, Bettendorf, Iowa - I enjoy digging into a good business story. An award story may seem like a time for softball questions, but I opted to thoroughly read the international business furniture company HNI's annual report to know what questions to ask of CEO Jeff Lorenger upon his winning the Oscar C. Schmidt Business Award from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. The report went into great detail about how HNI leadership had created inter-connected teams to modernize the brand, closely monitoring and improving upon employee satisfaction, earth-friendly practices and financial success.
QC/Corridor Business Journals - Brad Bark became mayor of Muscatine after a lot of contention in the office. With a conciliatory nature, he arrived in office with the desire to smooth over relations between the mayor and city council, and also to develop the town, especially its housing stock. He wasn't happy that I included the history that was not part of the interview, but, he rolled with it, realizing later that it was part of the story.
QC/Corridor Business Journals - I reported the expected summer 2022 groundbreaking for a $14 million clinic to replace the existing one at UnityPoint Hospital in Muscatine. The plans were not only for a larger, state-of-the-art facility. More importantly, the clinic was to be occupied by medical professionals in practices sorely needed in Muscatine - which is what really made it exciting news. Its planned completion was ... spring 2023. I may follow up on what happened. There is no sign of progress and there has not been any recent news.
Advocate News, Wilton-Durant, Iowa - I'm a sucker for a feel-good story, so I had to tell this one. A group of fifth-graders raised $1,900 through a school-wide penny drive to help children undergoing cancer treatments at the University of Iowa Stead Children's Hospital. They decided on their charity, how to raise the awareness, how to raise funds, and how to motivate their entire school to bring in their copper. The money was donated to Stead's Child Life Services Department, which provides books, games and toys for kids undergoing chemotherapy.
The Quad-City Times, Davenport, Iowa - Here is a very old story, just for fun! First, I was getting calls from the QC Times asking if I wanted to write stories for the "On The River" page. After taking on several of these outdoor-oriented stories, my list of contacts and my enthusiasm snowballed, and I found my own stories for the page. This was one of them.
Muscatine Magazine, Muscatine, Iowa - I enjoy informing people about ventures like this one. Joel and Linda Smyers, owners of River's Edge Gallery, started opeing the building to host musicians on tour so they could perform between major tour stops, so their gallery could make money - especially during times when people weren't buying art, and to share an intimate and acoustically friendly setting. Many factors aligned to make this a smart and enjoyable series of events.