The Wrangell Sentinel’s newest reporter, Jonathan Dawe, moved to Wrangell from Southeast Missouri in late spring. KSTK’s Colette Czarnecki got a chance to see how he’s been faring in the Southeast community island since leaving the hot and humid Midwest climate. He said Wrangell’s been treating him well and he looks forward to seeing how the city grows while reporting on the truth.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.
I’ve been working on and off in journalism since 2000. I’ve been working on and off as a photographer for longer than that, but as a photojournalist, I would say piecemeal, probably about 10 or 11 years.
What is it about writing and what is it about photography that you appreciate?
I prefer photography the most. This is a visual society, and I like the challenge of visual storytelling. But with writing, a lot of times, it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it.
Where have you worked?
I started working for a larger, much larger (paper) than my current position, the Daily American Republic (in Poplar Bluff). From there, I went to the Daily Statesman in Dexter, Missouri, which is the next town over, 27 miles east. I was living there, and it just made more sense to work there instead of commuting.
How does your previous work with those papers compare to Wrangell Sentinel?
Dexter was a smaller community (than Poplar Bluff), so it’s kind of insulated in the sense that it’s not that they’re immune to what goes on in other larger areas, but it’s kind of its own atmosphere. And I’ve definitely noticed that about Wrangell.
How has Wrangell treated you?
I think Wrangell has treated me very well. Some people have gone out of their way to extend a helping hand and just show me some hospitality, and I have the utmost respect for that kind of effort.
What are your hopes with your work with the Sentinel?
One opportunity that I see with this being a smaller area is getting to know more of the community, and letting more of the community kind of peek behind the curtain. The only agenda that we have is reporting the truth.
I noticed that you have written a couple editorial opinion pieces. Tell me, have you always wrote opinion pieces?
I have. I think one area that the media has failed miserably and continues to fail is finding, establishing and building on that common ground. Because we can have different interpretations of one thing or another, but that one thing shouldn’t be so divisive. I think I’ll probably have to say there have been a couple opinion pieces that I’ve written that really seem to have spoken to and resonated with a few people. They’ve stopped me and said, “I really, really enjoyed your column when you said” this.
Will you just say which opinion pieces those were?
One of the more recent ones that I wrote (was) about Superman, why I believe Superman’s the best hero. I had a couple people tell me that that really hit them in the heartstrings, in a good way.
I’m curious about your whole career as a journalist. Is there a certain story that you’re proud of?
From an investigative standpoint, there was a medical malpractice story that I was able to write. I had the most vague and general bits of information and it was just good old fashioned police work where I had to go to the courthouse and sit down with stacks and stacks of court files that are related to medical torts. I was able to find it in a relatively short period of time, and just being able to hold people accountable along those lines, (are) always going to be favorite memories of mine.
What do you do in your spare time?
As I said earlier, I have a great love for photography, I have my entire life. I love just walking around and getting photos. I love doing portrait photography. My goal with my photography is to capture the essence of who someone is. In fact, I’m trying to get a little bit of side hustle going with my photography business.
I play guitar. And if there are any other musicians out there that want to get together and jam, please don’t hesitate to reach out and contact me. I play all styles of music.
I am in grad school and I just started l to get my Master’s in Counseling.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Just that I’m really looking forward to what the future has in store. I think there’s a lot of good reason to be optimistic if you’re a resident of Wrangell. I have been very impressed with the borough assembly and with the borough manager. I’m really curious to see how the economy is going to grow over the next few years. So I’m excited just to be here, to be able to witness it and to document it.
