Spending a summer working long hours can be tough. But if it’s as an intern at a newspaper, it’s also rewarding.

Shifts of building pages and designing the newspaper was one of many opportunities I was given as an intern this summer at The Democrat.

When the internship began, I thought I would be focusing on photography, with an occasional story to write or page to design during my free time. Boy was I wrong.

The first day plans were made and jokes tossed to me about designing the paper on my own within a week. And I was.

With the help of Rod Guajardo and Ben Hillyer, I was well on my way to being able to design the paper. With their guidance, by the end of the summer I able to handle the night shift solo and with time to spare on deadline.

The best part of my summer did not come from sitting behind a desk improving my design and editing skills; it came from being out in the community that was my first home, helping tell people’s stories.

I was born in Natchez in 1994 and have family throughout the community. It was wonderful to be able to spend the summer back around my family and friends, and to meet many more people.

I grew up in The Democrat building with my mom being the editor while I was young. Returning to it the first day brought back a wave of nostalgia as I toured the building. I remember clambering around the various offices, watching as Johnnie Griffin ran the presses, the rack that fell on me as a kid in the newsroom, the photos on the wall, everything.

But coming back as an intern was a different experience, and having the opportunity to actually work at The Democrat and learn from everyone helped me tremendously. I learned how to build the pages, how to take a better photograph and how to better tell a story.

The first week I went out to search for a feature photo, and returned with what I thought was a good photo of people enjoying the American Queen docked in Natchez. Within seconds of showing Ben, I realized rightfully so why it wasn’t good: There was no story being told by the photo.

I made the motto of my summer to tell the stories of the community that held such a deep connection for me. The Democrat helped me do that and improve my skills.

I wasn’t the only newspaper kid the community welcomed this summer. But it felt good knowing that the community was as welcoming to us as it was to our parents.

Thank you, to not only the staff of The Democrat, but to the Miss-Lou for an amazing summer of learning.

 

Thomas Graning is a student at Ole Miss and recently completed an intermission at The Natchez Democrat.