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Brenda J. Linert

Staying in news ‘silo’ leaves us uninformed

After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last week signed a bill into law blocking public colleges from using federal or state funding on programs or campus activities that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion or that promote political or social activism, liberals lashed out against the action. Many argued the bill would limit free thinking and a full breadth of information being offered in college classrooms. One Democratic opponent, Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones, said: “Education ought to be about teaching kids how to think through issues, not what to think about issues. ... The ...

Study: Honesty in workplace (and life) is lacking

Our newspaper’s attempts to hire good, qualified employees seems to be a never-ending process. It doesn’t matter if it’s news reporters, newspaper carriers or ad sales people, we have a need that likely needs filled. And just like most businesses around the country, the hiring process these days has become even more challenging. Perhaps most exasperating is when applicants take the time to send a resume applying for an advertised position, but then, inexplicably opt to ignore hiring managers’ phone calls and emails. It’s a phenomenon commonly known these days as ...

Building relationships a big part of success

During a recent one-on-one interview with our politics reporter David Skolnick, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose spoke about his possible run for U.S. Senate and the importance of the relationships he’s built through the years. “What I have are things that can’t be bought,” LaRose said. “They have to be earned, such as deep relationships with people all over the state...” Coincidentally, the very same day LaRose spoke on the importance of relationships, a similar message was being delivered by NBC News’ senior national political reporter Henry Gomez, who gave the ...

Salute to journalists who died doing their jobs

I write from time to time about frustrations I sometimes face in my line of work, whether it be dealing with elected leaders and politicians — particularly at election time; reporting errors we’ve published and must own; readers who sometimes are critical of our coverage; or even the growing challenge of simply finding experienced journalists to fill newsroom vacancies. Just last week, I was frustrated by something that occurred, and I took a few minutes to calm my nerves with some fresh air and a brisk walk outside the office. That’s a luxury that so many journalists around the ...

Child deaths prove social media is no game

I recall being dared by my friends, as a child, to put my hand on the electric fence surrounding a cow field just down the rural country lane from the southwestern Pennsylvania home where I grew up. I accepted the dare, and we all laughed out loud as the electric volt zapped through my body. It was, well, shocking, but since I’m still here to write about it, I guess it ended OK. I’m pretty sure reading this will be the first time my mother learns of my ridiculous childhood stunt. Sadly, when Jacob Stevens’ parents learned about the stupid teen challenge their son recently took ...

Is AI good or bad? Depends on whom you ask

On three separate occasions recently I was involved in conversations about whether advances in artificial intelligence, or AI, is concerning to me as a journalist. No doubt the question stems from growing interest in new forms of AI known as “Generative AI.” That’s a form of AI now ...