By Dan Domsic
Controlled chaos can be a beautiful thing.
If you’ve never been inside a working newsroom, it can be a treat. It might not be the most exciting experience to the average passerby, but to a newsie, journo, reporter, editor, professional nosy person – whatever you’d like to call us – it’s an entertaining place.
In Current’s little newsroom, personalities bounce and play off each other, arguments are had, people get angry, people laugh a lot and our white board gets used for everything, from overarching planning (at one point in October I drew a gigantic table dissecting the differences between a second class city, a modernized city and a town) to outlandish in-jokes that either have folks shaking their heads or furrowing their brows. Apparently someone was acting quite “Dan-ish” two weeks ago (which was not to not be confused with “Danish”). I don’t know if that was complement or a criticism; I prefer to assume whoever was acting like me was being quite debonair and astounding everyone in the office with peerless wit.
Jokes aside, it’s a fun little vortex and nerve center where bits and pieces of news from all across Hamilton County coalesce. Being in the heart of the Carmel Arts & Design district, I constantly hear what’s going on there, and I share deadline day with my Noblesville and Westfield colleague Robert Herrington. I get to share what’s going on in Fishers with people that know Hamilton County incredibly well, and it’s a lot of fun to see everything fitting into the big puzzle that is the northern suburbs.
There’s enough zaniness to go around that it’s an adventure almost all the time. Newsroom culture is a strange one, but I always enjoy seeing team-members on deadline days
That is, even if it’s chaotic.
Visit me during coffee hours at Hearthstone Coffee House & Pub from 3 to 5 p.m. on Mondays.