Youth Movement
Mark Leger is the editor of Huddle. This is a weekly column that features opinion, analysis and reflections on Huddle stories, podcasts and business news in the region. It’s published first as a Saturday morning newsletter – sign up and receive our free daily newsletter too.
It was one of those moments when I felt blessed even though we had gathered to say goodbyes.
Liam, Aaron and Rachel were finishing up internships; Cherise had announced earlier in the week that she was leaving to take a new job. There was a feeling of sadness, of endings, but like the last time we got together to say goodbye to someone special to us (Inda Intiar earlier in the winter) the conversation was lively, meandering and joyful.
We talked about things like religion; childhood summer camps; whether Nicholas Cage had revived his reputation with his new movie, Pig; and how Halifax reporter Derek Montague reminds me of Cliff Clavin from the 80s sitcom Cheers with his passion for storytelling and trivia.
I have mostly worked for small, startup media publications for the last 20 years, and they’ve been primarily staffed by young, smart and talented people in the early stages of their careers – young editors and writers in their 20s or early 30s.
I was once one of them, a 31-year-old who quit a job as an editor with the Telegraph-Journal in 2000 to start a news and entertainment weekly called here. Like a teacher who grows older as he works with students the same age, year after year, I have aged as I continue to work alongside mostly much younger people. It keeps me young, in heart and mind, even as I show the obvious physical signs of aging. (As I write this, I’m comparing old pictures of myself and my colleagues at a here birthday party 20 years ago to the one above taken in the week.) In a reference that will become dated as I age further, I jokingly refer to myself (a Gen Xer) as an “honorary millennial.”
Working with and relying so much on young people has taught me they’re already high performers ready to lead, and not merely building skills and experience that will serve them well in their 40s and fifties when they take over companies and organizations.
Huddle had already developed a direction and a personality when I was hired in 2017, thanks in no small part to associate editor Cherise Letson, who was part of the team when the website was launched in 2015. As a content creator, she wrote stories that established the quality, brand and tone of the publication. As an editor, she mentored other young writers and interns and helped launch and produce the Huddle network of podcasts.
In the past year, Trevor Nichols and Derek (both students of mine nearly 15 years ago at St. Thomas University) have led the development of the Halifax Huddle operations. I look to them more than they look to me when it comes to making decisions about what stories we should cover there.
Elizabeth MacLeod balances writing stories for Huddle and Acadia radio stations, while also managing social media content for station advertisers and scheduling for sponsored stories.
I expect interns to be fully integrated members of the reporting team because they’ve consistently delivered in the years I’ve been working with them.
Rachel Smith, entering her fourth year at St. Thomas University (STU), has covered the tech sector, and the restaurant, retail and bar scene in Fredericton this summer (and doing so remotely from her family’s home in New Hampshire in August).
Aaron Sousa, going into his third year at STU, has covered stories of all kinds in Saint John and Moncton and worked as a radio reporter for the Acadia stations in Saint John.
Liam Floyd, already a graduate with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s, joined us last fall through an a CyberNB internship program. For the past 10 months, he has covered the tech scene across the province and stories of all kinds in Fredericton. He has also helped edit podcasts and produced virtual concerts for the Acadia radio stations in Saint John.
People often wonder about the effectiveness of government spending programs. I can tell you from personal experience the money we’ve received through Future NB, CyberNB and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) has been well-spent. Aaron, Rachel and Liam have honed their skills and gained experience and performed at a high level for Huddle. I’m losing three full-time, highly capable storytellers that I’ve come to rely on.
These are my experiences. I’m sure many of you have your own, and they’re worth reflecting on as the summer comes to an end and our interns return to school.
With the fall come winds of change – but thankfully not too much change at Huddle, for my sake. Cherise is leaving and we will miss her, but she leaves behind a legacy that will endure. Aaron and Rachel are going back to school, but Rachel will remain in a part-time capacity. Liam is leaving us, but not the company as he takes on a full-time promotions role with Acadia Broadcasting, Huddle’s owner.
Huddle values its young workforce – its full-time staff and interns. That philosophy was on display at our gathering earlier this week when general manager Shelley Snodgrass joined in by video call as we were in the middle of our meandering conversation about religion and pop culture. She interrupted us with pointed questions about Rachel’s and Aaron’s future plans. What year are you going into? When are you graduating? Will you come back for full-time jobs?
Her cheerful persistence brought to mind an old Beatles song, and I’ll end with a line that will, once again, date myself with my younger colleagues: “I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello/Hello hello…”
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Banner photo: the Huddle team. Image: Mark Leger.