Slusher: Versatility a byword for journalists

Some thoughts on recognition and multi-tasking in the news arena:

A month ago, I wrote about the fundamental challenges news photographers face trying to capture meaningful images both in news - as in the crowd fighting to get a picture of Dennis Hastert at the Federal Courthouse - and in sports - as in the mayhem of a Stanley Cup Playoff game. I could have added one other point for which photographers get little recognition in the newsroom and none in the general public. News gathering.

I was reminded of this earlier this week as during a general conversation, Legal affairs writer Barbara Vitello reflected on our coverage Friday of a fatal plane crash near Bartlett. Vitello and staff writer Katlyn Smith shared a byline for the story online and in Saturday's editions, and staff writer Steve Zalusky was acknowledged as a contributor. Staff photographer Mark Welsh was acknowledged for the images he provided from the scene, but he also contributed significantly to the reporting.

While shooting pictures, Welsh talked to neighbors and bystanders and found at least two who had heard or witnessed the crash. He contacted Vitello, who was working the story by telephone from the office, and put her in touch with them. "He was great," Vitello said. "It's thanks to him we were able to include those accounts."

Welsh's contributions indeed were valuable, but in a sense, they also were routine. They represented the non-picture journalism that Welsh and other Daily Herald photographers do with nearly every story. Photographers are often the first, and sometimes the only, reporters to arrive at the scene of a breaking news event. They are not only our eyes, but often our ears as well.

And photographers aren't the only journalists here whose contributions to our text reporting the public rarely sees. Graphic artists often conduct independent research and interviews, not just in producing informational charts and graphs that complement major stories but sometimes in contributing significantly to the stories themselves. Indeed, although his byline usually was limited to the statistical charts, graphs and illustrations he created for our Generations at Risk report about schools and poverty, much of the work reflected in the stories was built on research and analysis conducted by presentation editor Tim Broderick.

Speaking of multi-tasking journalists, I turn your attention back to Vitello, for she juggles what must be one of the most divergent writing assignments in journalism. Her primary job is to cover the human drama and sort out the byzantine legal maneuverings of suburban court cases, but she also is an award-winning theater and music critic. In fact, after collecting information and helping to write the Friday plane-crash story, she headed on Sunday to the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg to serve on the four-judge panel evaluating performers in the Suburban Chicago's Got Talent competition.

From the courtroom to the stage ... it's not a connection one might immediately expect, but seemingly-odd pairings do occur in a field that tends to attract people interested in all aspects of our culture. Many of you will remember Bill Gowen, who reviewed Chicago opera for the Daily Herald until he retired several years ago. In his primary role, Gowen was a sports copy editor, and a very fine one at that.

Journalists. They're an interesting lot. Sometimes much more diverse than you might expect. Often lurking within the body of reports where you aren't even aware of their presence.

Jim Slusher, jslusher@dailyherald.com, is an assistant managing editor at the Daily Herald. Follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/jim.slusher1 and on Twitter at @JimSlusher.