Behind the Headlines

It’s one of the questions editors get asked frequently: Where does the newspaper get ideas for stories? My standard answer to this question: Everywhere. One fun thing about journalism is that you never know when a reader will call in with a great tip, or when a walk downtown at lunchtime will lead you to see something new or different you hadn’t noticed before. Reporters are constantly talking to sources and checking records in search of stories. But great stories don’t just come from reporters.

Sunday’s front-page story and photo package on well-known radio host Jack Pattie’s transformation into Santa Claus is a great example. Herald-Leader Chief Photographer Charles Bertram happened to be listening to Pattie’s radio show a few months back when Pattie mentioned his quest to become Santa. Said Charles: "I just filed away the idea." When it got closer to Christmas, Charles decided to check in with Pattie to see if there might be a good story there. He dropped by the radio station a few weeks ago. "As soon as I saw him through the glass in the studio room, I knew it would be a neat story," Charles said. "Jack was very enthused about us doing it."

Charles began following Pattie to various activities, and then he brought the idea to editors, who tapped staff writer Delano Massey to put words with the photos. We decided to run the story and photo package on Sunday, the day after Lexington’s Christmas Parade (in which Pattie rode as Santa Claus). Charles also put together a multimedia show on "Santa Jack." The result is a charming look at a community icon transforming into an international one. And, as Charles notes, it’s the kind of upbeat, positive story that readers often say they’d like to see more of in the paper.

Peter Baniak
metro editor