#MediaMonday – Ryan Winslett
Happy #MediaMonday! This feature comes to us from Ryan Winslett, North Valley managing editor for Independent Newsmedia.
Take it away, Ryan!
Where did you grow up?
I spent about the first decade of my life in a place called Watkinsville, which is on the outskirts of Athens, Georgia. Climbing trees, fishing, hunting squirrels…You get the idea. We moved to Globe, Arizona after that, but my brother and I would frequently return to Georgia to spend time with our dad. If you’re wondering which one has the worst summer heat, the answer is “yes.”
How did you get your start in writing? Tell us your story and experience.
I think I’ve always been something of a storyteller. I was always trying to write shorts stories and comics as a kid. I say “try” because I didn’t finish most of them. I’d have an idea, start writing and then get distracted by something else.
I got better about actually finishing my stories as a teen and took my first step into the world of journalism when I started writing for the high school newspaper. I went to Northern Arizona University studying computer sciences but shifted my focus back to journalism after the first semester. A friend who worked for the paper had me write a story and noticed that 1. I wasn’t too bad at it, and 2. I seemed to really enjoy doing it. I was like, “Hey, you’re right. Maybe this journalism thing is what I was meant to do.”
I applied all over the place as graduation drew close and was eventually hired by The Fountain Hills Times in 2005. I know it’s typical for journalists to bounce all over the place, but I’ve been here ever since. The paper was purchased by Independent Newsmedia a couple years ago and, well, I’m still here!
Tell us about your outlet and role. What types of pitches, stories are you looking for?
At Independent Newsmedia, I am the Managing Editor of the North Valley. That’s just a fun way of saying I cover Fountain Hills, Scottsdale and the Town of Paradise Valley. The company, though, has around 20 papers in Arizona alone, all under the umbrella of yourvalley.net. We try to cover pretty much anything and everything, from the big breaking news to features on the kids who won the local spelling bee.
Community journalism is my sweet spot. I love telling the stories you can’t find anywhere else and giving folks that jolt of excitement seeing their own name or business in the paper or hanging up an article about their kid on the fridge.
If you live in a community we cover, we aim to be your one-stop shop for local news, and then we also have folks on staff covering the statewide news or localizing national stories. We offer a little something for everyone.
What are your favorite stories to cover?
My role doesn’t allow me to do nearly as much writing as I used to, but the types of stories I’ve always loved telling and will jump at if nobody else is available to cover them are those smaller, more personal stories about someone in one of our communities doing something noteworthy or unique. I’m probably butchering the saying, but it goes something like, “Most people only appear in the newspaper twice, when they’re born and when they die.” I understand that, while this small-town story might not be “important news” to the outside world, it’s extremely important to the folks who call these communities home, even more so to the person it’s about. It’s also just way more fun to tell a story literally no other outlet will have.
What are some of your hobbies?
I’m a bit of a horror fiend and movie buff in general. I also love reading and playing tabletop games with friends. Video games are also a big part of my life. I spent a decade covering the games industry for various outlets online as a second job and loved every minute of it. That had to stop when I became an editor, though. Just didn’t have the extra time anymore. I guess I’m just a big-ole nerd.
My favorite outdoor activity is geocaching. It’s a great way to get more out of a hike or get taken to places you otherwise never would have discovered.
Favorite movie or TV show or book?
Jurassic Park was the first time I remember being utterly blown away in a movie theater, kicking off my love of film. So, yeah, I usually credit that with being my “favorite” movie, because of what it meant to me, but I have to give a shoutout to John Carpenter’s The Thing and Tremors, a movie I’ve seen dozens of times and never get tired of. My TV comfort watches are The X-Files and The Twilight Zone, and I devour just about anything by Stephen King.
Do you have any favorite local spots?
Not to be cliché, but Fountain Park in Fountain Hills. It’s big, beautiful and the site where the community hosts so many memorable events. It’s also right down the road from our office, so I usually get to see that famous fountain go off several times a day.
What is the best way to reach you?
The best way to reach me is through my work email at rwinslett@iniusa.org. That was an easy one!
