John Coston

Editor-in-chief, The Lakeville Journal, North Falls Village, Connecticut

First job in news:

I was a reporter at The Watertown Daily Times, Watertown, New York.

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned while working in news?

It’s the small things that matter as much as the big ones. If you don’t pay attention to detail, the larger story suffers in the end, as does the newspaper. Everybody’s story counts.

When you reflect on your career to date, what brings you the greatest sense of accomplishment?

Acquiring a lifetime of experience working as a team with reporters and editors to put out a paper day after day, week after week. That especially includes learning to recognize and respect writers’ voices and nurturing those voices as an editor.

What are your predictions for where news publishing/news media is headed?

As long as people want to know what’s happening in the world, there will be news to be published. Print papers may become a pricey relic — maybe not as soon as some predict — as the online generation inherits the news landscape. Local news, where I started and now again work, will continue to be valued as a vital way to connect people to their communities and each other.