Q: What is most special to you about Tuskegee?

Rhodes: The history of the town and meeting so many people who have been part of that history, particularly in area of civil rights.

 

Q: What should future community journalists be aware of when coming into the business?

Rhodes: There is not a lot of money to be made until you work your way up the ranks.  That is challenging and, in most cases, takes time. Another issue is dealing with the level of mistrust with the media, much of which I don’t think applies to community journalists.

 

Q: What changes have you seen in the industry and in your community over the past ten years?

Rhodes: The advent of social media outlets and transitioning to using that as part of our publication. With the advent of social media, a local newspaper can still be successful by concentrating on local issues and people — especially people stories.

 

Q: What are your biggest challenges and how do you deal with them?

Rhodes: Producing a weekly paper with limited staff because of financial constraints is a challenge.  Much of that is based on the closure of VictoryLand that came with a loss of nearly $750,000 in revenue in direct advertising from VictoryLand for The Tuskegee News. We had to cut a reporter position because of the loss of revenue from VictoryLand. That has limited my ability to be out of the office to work more on people stories.

 

Q: What has been the biggest mistake that you had to learn from in your career?

Rhodes:  I turned down a chance to be a consultant because I would have had to relocate my family with three young children. I thought it might have been a mistake for a while. In retrospect, it wasn’t. I have been content to work in a community that I respect and have attained a level in my profession that few reach as an editor and publisher. I was editor of a daily paper for 13 years and found that I am more comfortable in a community environment calling my own shots and not being subject to the whims of a media corporation.

 

Q: What are the top five things you wish young journalists knew?

Rhodes:

1. Be fair in your coverage, 2. Be inquisitive, 3. Remember you are writing for the public and not your own purposes. That means you are not writing a thesis. You are writing to an audience that wants the story in a concise and informative manner, 4. Don’t take things personally. When you deal with the public, you are going to come across people that believe you are inherently unfair. That’s just the way it is. If you know you are being fair, no one can legitimately question your integrity.  , 5. Don’t expect anything from your staff you are not willing to do, especially in a community newspaper where everybody has to pitch in and do a lot of jobs. That includes such mundane jobs as taking out the trash and watering the plants.

 

Q: What qualities do you need to be an effective community journalist?

Rhodes: Know your community. Invite input and go to events, not just to council and commission meetings.

 

Q: What has been the greatest story for you to publish over the years and what was the hardest story for you to publish? 

Rhodes:  I can’t really pinpoint one story or event. The closest may have been covering the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment Apology from President Bill Clinton in the East Room of the White House in 1997.  Five of the remaining eight survivors from the Study that lasted from 1932-72 were present. Another would be the opening of the Tuskegee Airmen Museum in 2007 when so many of the elderly Airmen were present and emotionally overwhelmed. I also enjoyed interviewing Lionel Richie of Tuskegee when he released his album, “Tuskegee”. The toughest stories to write were the ones on the death of Tuskegee News owner Paul Davis and on the fire that destroyed the office.

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