Celebrating two high-achieving News & Observer journalists who have taken on new roles
The News & Observer staff is spread across the Triangle and Washington, D.C.
That’s why we meet virtually at 8:45 a.m. Monday through Friday from our downtown Raleigh office, the press room at the state legislative building, living rooms, front seats in parking lots and occasional walks to school.
The logistics behind The N&O’s staff meeting are more complicated than ordering from Cook Out’s 54,000 options.
Our video-based “virtual” staff meetings are quick — usually shy of 15 minutes — and we start with shout outs to our journalists who have done something special. Fortunately, there’s always a reason to celebrate before we get to the business of what needs to be covered in the coming days.
Lately, a clever group of our journalists have gone from virtual cheering to filling the meeting screen with flying emojis depicting shooting stars, clapping hands and tiny noisemakers.
I love those flying emojis — which humor younger colleagues who think I still use a colon/dash/parenthesis to depict a smile :-).
As older kids say, whatever.
Today, though, it’s your chance to join our newsroom staff meeting virtually and send a congratulatory note — or better yet, an emoji — to Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan at dvaughan@newsobserver.com or Virginia Bridges at vbridges@newsobserver.com.
New roles for journalism pros
In recent weeks, these veteran, high-achieving journalists have taken on new roles:
Dawn, who has covered government and politics for the past six years, was promoted to Capitol bureau chief. Dawn, a tenacious reporter who usually is first with questions for Gov. Roy Cooper, heads the state Capitol Press Corps and is host of our Under the Dome podcast.
Virginia, who has worked at the Herald Sun and The N&O since 2012, will lead our expanded coverage of criminal justice in a new criminal justice reporting role. This is made possible due to the nonprofit The Just Trust, a grant-giving initiative that supports criminal justice reform projects across the country. (As with all philanthropically funded positions, The N&O maintains independence in reporting and writing.)
Dawn and Virginia are both award-winning journalists, super moms and fun folks. Sources respect them. Colleagues praise them often. Here’s what their editors say.
From Jordan Schrader, our politics editor: “Dawn stands out for her excitement. She’s not cynical or jaded. She’s excited about journalism, the beat she covers, the stories she’s working on, the work of her colleagues in the newsroom, and beating the competition. (And about history, architecture, holidays, parades, a good lunch.) With that excitement comes curiosity and energy, which are great assets for a reporter. And her excitement tends to rub off on other journalists.”
From Cathy Clabby, our regional investigations editor: “Virginia is a journalist’s journalist. By that I mean she is always ready to do the hard work it takes to report on significant events and issues thoroughly and fairly. That takes a special skill set and a lot of energy. Every day, every assignment, Virginia brings an open mind, an embrace of complexity and a drive to listen to people from all walks of life. All that stems, I think, from how deeply Virginia cares about people, including those lacking political and economic power. She recognizes that good journalism can make those with clout more accountable to everyone else.”
Amen.
Dawn and Virginia seem to be in perpetual motion, so it’s a happy moment whenever we see them in the newsroom or on our morning call.
Clap your hands or let those emojis fly. Dawn and Virginia are worthy.
Their work matters. And they’ll continue to make a difference in new roles.
Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer. His favorite emoji is the face with sunglasses.
