Morning Journal Reporter Jo Ann Bobby Gilbert likes to say she has ink for blood. With 31 years experience, 26 with the Morning Journal, I would say she is a veteran reporter. After telling us she grew up with her father in the trade I would say she has got some of that ink in her DNA too. She related that her dad was probably the worse ambulance chaser known to mankind always looking for a story and she has picked up a lot of those traits.
Jo Bob got her start in the newspaper business working on Beaver Local's Beaver Tales and was editor her senior year in high school according to Paul Blevins. From high school she went straight to work for the Youngstown Vindicator. Five years later she started at the Morning Journal and has been there since. Wellsville is now her beat. This is her second tour for the ville. Previously she covered Wellsville for 10 years before being reassigned elsewhere. She was covering the East Liverpool beat before once again being reassigned down our way just within the last year.
The Morning Journal can trace it roots back to 1852 in Columbiana County. It started out as the "Buckeye State" back then. It has been part of the Ogden Newspapers of Wheeling, WV, since 2003. Ogden also owns the East Liverpool Review, the Salem News, and the Steubenville Herald Star just to name a few. Jo Bob's editor is Dorma Stock Tolson, a ville native. She is the daughter of the late Verla & Dorman Stock. Charter Chamber member Marge Dysert said dorma Stock was one of her students when she was teaching in the Wellsville School District.
Jo Ann related that like any other business in today's economy changes have been made in the Ogden family but that the three papers in our county seem to be fairing a little better than others in that corporation because of the changes that have been adopted. All three county papers roll off the same printing press in Lisbon. When Jo Ann was last reassigned to the ville it was a move with individual reporter's articles appearing in all three editions in the county. Before that they had different reporters for each newspaper. Now they are consolidated and we were fortunate getting Jo Ann. Sadly along with consolidating some operations and reporter's coverage there have been some lay-offs but most of those affected have been able to catch jobs elsewhere.
In spite of all the economic turmoil in recent times Jo Ann says she still loves her job and that she and her fellow reporters are still ardent in putting out a quality product for us newspaper customers. There's good news stories and bad news. They report it all. She said cohort Tom Giambroni, another veteran reporter, says there are no bad stories for a reporter but there are some questionable reporters. Each year they renew their pledge to a strict code of ethics for employees providing coverage for the newspaper.
I'm still chuckling about one provision in that code of ethics. I've gotten to know Jo Bob a little bit since she came back covering the ville. We're frequently at the same events for the same reason - getting the news. For her it's a job in addition to being to her passion. She does an excellent job and I've learned a lot from her just watching her work and reading her stories. She covers the ville & Salineville plus all in between. That provision in her code of ethics that got me chuckling is that no reporter can write a news story about themselves. Even though she was the guest speaker at Thursday's luncheon she couldn't write one word mentioning it. She was very gracious about it and for that I thank her. Over the years she has been the recipient of six AP awards in her division. If it hadn't been for Paul Blevins mentioning it we would never have heard about that. She won't even toot her horn off the record. I had to laugh since I am a "wannabe" covering a seasoned reporter. It's a rare opportunity.
Jo Bob it's an honor writing this and I hope you consider me one of your Wellsville friends.
ole nib
9 comments:
Jo Ann is an excellent reporter who reports the facts and is not afraid to get to the bottom of a story. Welcome back to the 'ville !
Well, Nib, you know I don't allow myself to have "friends" on my beat, but since you aren't an elected official, I guess I'll let you slip by (LOL).
Thanks so much for the kind words (and the photo which didn't show some of my worst parts), but a couple clarifications (something all us newshounds have to publish from time to time):
My dad was not in the trade; he was just an ambulance chaser and took us kids to wrecks and fires, etc. he heard about on the scanner! He would have made a good reporter, tho! I did have many ancestors in the biz, however and, how's this: My great-great-great uncle was Samuel Breese Morse, inventor of the telegraph! So communication is in my blood!
As for the layoffs at our company, I can't say whether those furloughed got other jobs. I just don't know.
My editor's parents were Verla and Dorman Stock from Wellsville.
And, finally, Tom G's actually said an old editor once told him, "There is no lack of enterprising stories, just a lack of enterprising reporters." Just to be exact on that!
Again, thanks a lot for the coverage! I have learned a lot from you, too, since you are actually LIVING in the 'Ville and hear things I don't.
I meant what I told the chamber: everyone there has been wonderful to me since I returned and I appreciate it.
oh, and he also invented the Morse code (duh). I'm not really sure if he wss a great-great or a great-great-great but he was an ancestor, anyway!
Thanks for the clarifications. Could have sworn you said your father was in the trade.
Maybe the missus is right and I should get my hearing checked.
nib
No I was so nervous, I was rambling! One of the hardest things to cover is a rambling speaker (LOL)! You did GOOD!
Sooner or later Joann will be reporting one of the biggest stories in the Ville history. You don't know what it is Joann, but you will, and some folks at Village Hall will shaking in their shoes.
If you know such a thing, why not tell her now instead of hiding behind your anonymity with rumors?
You can't be crooked all the time without getting caught.
From Anonymous 7-3-09:
"When it happens she will know, give it a little more time, believe me, the 'stuff' is about to come down."
(Edited to clean up language)
nib
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