Journalism, as we know it, is dead. Gone are the newspapers, highly trusted for their sources and impartial headlines. Gone are the photos that show the whole picture, the quotes that illuminate the people behind a newsworthy event.

Here at ADM, we are tasked with immediate resuscitation. We need to report, photograph, record, question, anything to keep our news alive. And lucky for us, something is usually happening, even around a small town like Adel. We’ve been fortunate enough to learn how to evolve online, how to create broadcasts and podcasts and our own Friday Flash (all the thanks to heaven and back are hereby given to Loren for her steadfast dedication).

Here at ADM, you will be tasked with continuing a heartbeat. Find the things you love and write them. Find the things you don’t love, and find a way to make it sound like you love them. Learn how to question others in such a way as to avoid monosyllabic answers, learn how to take photographs that might take someone’s breath away, learn it all.

My only advice is to be a little careful. Some stories aren’t ready for the world, some aren’t even ready for this district. News is controversial, and you must learn how to tiptoe over the eggshells left by editors and administrators. Be careful, but do not be afraid to tell your story.

I would thank this class for teaching me how to be a real journalist, but that would be a little too fake, don’t you think? All you need to know is what you have to do now: resuscitate the dying art.