Taking a chance on writing
by Justyne Edgell
Back in the spring of 2020, right when COVID-19 was taking over the world, I was a fresh university graduate. It was a time of change and worry and confusion for most people, and especially for a young media grad watching all sorts of industries lock their doors and go into a pandemic hiatus.
As people hunkered down at home, sanitized their groceries and limited their social bubble, I came across a job posting in my local Cosmos newspaper - searching for a new reporter to add to their team.
Written media wasn't an avenue I had really considered. My studies focused mainly on digital media, television news and current affairs production. Now, I have always called myself a homebody, and I find so much comfort in the sense of community and familiarity of our small town. I felt that this was an opportunity to help serve my community.
The Cosmos had always been familiar to me, not only as being our local paper, but also to me personally; I was a music student who took lessons in the studio adjoining the Cosmos office. I can remember as a young child, waiting for my lesson to begin, chatting with the quirky and creative Conrad (Boyce, Cosmos founder), then later sneaking in quietly as not to disturb Lisha, and then pretending I didn’t hear her muttering to herself (which often included a few expletives) as she prepared the week’s edition.
While I knew I wasn’t perhaps the exact type of candidate they had in mind for this job posting, I had studied one measly semester at Carleton University's journalism school (ahead of transferring to Media Production at Toronto Metropolitan University, Ryerson at that time), which was Lisha’s alma mater, and I had a small portfolio of news stories written in script format from university projects, and I had a great interest in connecting town residents to all that goes on in our community.
My interview with Lisha and Ted Barris was surprisingly not nerve wracking, but in fact, it reminded me of that comfort and familiarity of our small town. Their enthusiasm about adding a younger writer to their team inspired and supported me in feeling that my voice and perspective could be an important and unique addition to our small town communications.
Soon enough, I was told to plan a name for my column and to send in a headshot because I was the newest Cosmos reporter! My time as a regular with the paper taught me just how much really happens in this small town. Engaging in weekly town council meetings, hearing from local businesses and community groups, and getting feedback from Uxbridge residents gave me a new perspective on all that goes on in our town and how important the paper is as a gathering place for all our town happenings.
I was able to help share information on such a variety of topics, including weekly updates on COVID-19’s impact, local athletes being recognized nationally, news of our art scenes - from theatre productions to art shows to musical events. I shared the accomplishments of Uxbridge residents who received medals of honour, and businesses who donated to support local causes. I relayed information from organizations working in Uxbridge to better our roads, internet connectivity, and access to amenities, and so much more.
What I realized was that without large media broadcasters here in Uxbridge, the Cosmos is the gatherer of all our local information and allows it to be easily accessible to the community.
What a milestone achievement it is for our small town newspaper to have reached 20 years! In a world where our media is constantly evolving, the Cosmos remains our town's best way to stay in the local loop!
Thank you to the Cosmos team for welcoming me back in 2020, and to the community for supporting this small but vital source of local media!
Justyne Edgell was the Cosmos’s first Local Journalism Initiative reporter. She continues to do freelance writing, alongside her professional photography career.