From the editor: My job keeps evolving after 25 years at the StarNews
As part of our reimagined Sunday edition, we’ve introduced Q&As and columns featuring our staff. These pieces not only detail what our team members do at the newspaper but also share a bit about their personal lives and interests.
I’ve relished discovering new facets of my colleagues and hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the journalists dedicated to covering the Wilmington area every day.
With my 25th anniversary at the StarNews approaching on April 26, I thought it might be time to share a bit more about my own journey.
It began the summer before my sophomore year in high school. I was transitioning to a new school and had to choose my classes. Uninterested in taking a study hall, which I deemed a waste of time, the counselor suggested an elective. Working for the student newspaper was mentioned as a way to meet new people.
And, as they say, the rest is history. I didn’t realize then it would become my career, but I haven’t really done anything else since. A few summers in retail were the exception, but once I started on the journalism path in college, it became my sole focus.
College years were filled with long days and nights at the student newspaper. Post-graduation, I landed a job as an education reporter at the Martinsville Bulletin in Virginia for about a year. Next, I moved to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, covering environmental issues and later education for two years.
In 1999, I joined the StarNews as an education reporter, thinking it would be a brief stint before moving on to another paper. However, my role kept evolving, covering local government, health, and eventually transitioning to a digital editor during the early days of online news. As I advanced in my editing career, I became deeply embedded in the community.
In 2014, I met my now-husband, and we moved into a new house in Leland in 2017. Although I’ve had other job offers, none seemed like a better fit. In 2020, I became the editor of both the StarNews and The Fayetteville Observer.
Even my current role has evolved over the years. While the future of the newspaper industry is uncertain, I’d like to think I’m evolving right along with it.
Sherry Jones is the executive editor of the StarNews. You can reach her at sjones1@gannett.com.
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