Introducing Your Editor

Hello, I'm Shannon Moretz and in many ways, I grew up in the newspaper business.

My Granny, Darlene Royal, worked in the composing room of The Thomasville Times when I was a little girl. I spent many hours there, flipping through clip art books and pasting up mock pages with scraps from the waxer. I thought I could journey to another world by entering the revolving tube of a door that led to the dark room. I often hung out in the newsroom, coloring at an empty desk while the writers, photographers, and editors developed and discussed their content.

I was in awe of how quickly my Granny could compute the allocation of column inches as EVERY DAY she and the other production magicians laid out an entire newspaper BY HAND with little more than a metal ruler, a wax pencil, some rubber cement, an X-ACTO knife, and some border tape.

When your Granny works for the newspaper, you tend to get your picture taken, a lot. Sometimes that picture ends up on the front page. I was never a big fan of that, but an endless supply of newsprint more than made up for it! Even the partial rolls could be too heavy for a little girl to easily move, but that paper was perfect to stretch across the front porch for an afternoon of doodling and tic-tac-toe. It was also excellent for containing messes from paint, decorating sugar, pumpkin guts, etc.

Some of my earliest role models were Wonder Woman, Mr. Rogers, and Ronda Jean Tucker. Wonder Woman had those boots and the "lasso of truth." Mr. Rogers taught me how to be kind, to others and to myself. But throughout my youth and into early adulthood, it was Ronda Jean Tucker who encouraged me to write. She was a news reporter who covered local government in Davidson County. She had lots of entertaining stories about wrangling the truth out of local leaders, who often underestimated her.

So when I started working for The Caswell Messenger in 2003, I didn't really need anyone to explain how to lay out a page or warn me about the good ol' boy system. I practically begged for the job. I had married and started a family early, working in food service and healthcare to pay the bills. The only writing samples I had were from my time on high school newspapers, the debate team, or in AP English, but I was persistent, assuring the publisher that I was downright destined for that job.

I loved every minute of the five years I spent at the Messenger as staff writer, associate editor, and managing editor. When I was a little girl, my Barbie dolls were war correspondents or investigative journalists in DC, but during my time at the Messenger I fell in love with community journalism, and this place I call home.

I grew up here in Caswell County, but I didn't truly appreciate it until I began to discover and share its stories - so many nuanced layers, and a whole host of colorful, complex characters creating those layers. Like many places, Caswell County has a closet full of skeletons and plenty of dirty laundry, but it is also full of good, hard-working people who want to do the right thing.

I love those people and I want to use my time and my talents to make sure they have the information they need to participate in local decision-making, access available resources, and connect with their neighbors.

The world is changing quickly, there is a tremendous need within my community, and I'm not getting any younger. Newspapers are expensive to publish but expanded internet access now makes it possible to offer a reliable, online news source.

It's a huge financial risk, but this is the work I am called to do.

So, I've launched Caswell News & Notes, where I intend to provide a traditional, community newspaper experience, online. You can read more about the values and ethics that guide decision-making at Caswell News & Notes HERE and find more details about my professional background on my LinkedIn Profile.

When I'm not out and about in the community, gathering information and listening to others share their stories. I'm probably hanging out with my husband and our dog - camping, fishing, gardening, napping.

If I don't already know you, I look forward to meeting you and hearing about what matters most to you. Maybe you'll even tell me YOUR story!

If you are a subscriber, sponsor, content contributor, or any other type of supporter, THANK YOU! I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do this work and it would not be possible without you.

I've shared my contact information below. A healthy work-life balance is important so while I make no promise to be available 24 hrs a day, I am generally accessible and hope you won't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.

Now let's go find out what's going on in Caswell County these days....