What you might be interested to know is that my father had a wonderful sense of humor. Much of what he wrote was laced with that.

You also might like to know that he full realized that other people didn’t write like he did. But i don’t think he much cared– this is how he saw fit to write, not in some journalism school formula.

He wrote his headlines long because he realized that most people read not much more than headlines. Then he followed through with detailed information (that did tie in local with global as much as possible) probably in the hope that someone would like to know as much and care as much about what he was writing about as he did.

You might also want to know that his view of a community newspaper was that it’s function was to help the community and the people in it to thrive AND to sell papers in order to perpetuate the ability to help the community. And he did so by promoting all “good” causes in the community and also by reporting thoroughly and accurately and by editorializing.

You may also want to know that while working hours all his life that would “kill” all the rest of us, that he never missed an event of his children’s or his grandchildren’s life. He was never too tired or too stressed or too busy to take time for those things.

Regarding the mention of the “owner of the local dailies” becoming the publisher, I’m really not sure how you could read from newspaper accounts that my father didn’t think much of him. I’m not saying he did or he didn’t, but what I am saying is that my father treated him in all accounts fairly and honestly. I believe you may be reading in a general feeling about the publisher into what my father actually wrote.

I think what I’m trying to point out here is that my father wrote every word with the intent to make the community he lived in a stronger, better community. I’m sorry too, that you never knew him. You could have learned a lot from him.

Cindi Pastore

I grew up in the Bluffton area and appreciate your tasteful handling of a true one-of-a-kind guy/editor/publisher/reporter/photographer/town character. I haven’t chuckled that much at such a true depiction in quite some time. Mission accomplished, Nancy. If you hadn’t said so, I would have sworn you knew him personally.

And, note to Dave: I would almost bet that Barbieri DID write his own obit. There just may have been a little editing applied.

I wonder if Indiana has any more like Jim Barbieri.

For years, Kentucky’s most memorable editor was probably Larry Craig, editor of the Green River Republican in Morgantown. An ordained Baptist minister, Larry won numerous awards and routinely took unpopular stands. Somebody fired a shot through his office window, and the church he pastored was burned down. Nowadays, he’s an adjunct professor of journalism at Western Kentucky University.

Thanks for a great post and these responses.

John Strauss
Indianapolis

Of course, we at UPI loved him in particular because he kept us on long after pretty much everyone else had dropped us. Plus, guaranteed, if we sent a story with one of our bylines on it, he ran the byline. A lot of the clips I was able to submit for future jobs came thanks to Jim Barbieri’s insistence on bylines. I never met the man, so I’m not sure if he kept the bylines because of a great respect for the work of a reporter, or so it didn’t look like he wrote every single word in the paper. Probably both.

I saw your column on today’s Romanesko web site, and it brought for memories that go back even beyond the 50 years of Mr. Barbieri’s career.

My grandfather Edgar (Bat) Nelson and uncle Ross Nelson, both born and raised in Bluffton, started their newspaper careers on the News Banner. My grandfather died in 1935 and was Sunday editor of the old Evening Star in Washington.
Ross Nelson was an editor for many years on the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, where his daughter Mary Jane worked before and during World War II. Ross, who died in 1960, ended his career as an editor on the Indianapolis Star. Ross had one of the saddest assignments imaginable, covering the death of their youngest brother in the inter-urban crash. Edgar and Ross are are buried with their spouses in Bluffton.

As you can see from this address, I followed my grandfather into journalism (including a year in Bloomington), starting as a copyboy at the Evening Star and for the last 23 years at the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer as senior producer for foreign affairs & defense.

Glad to see that the editors of the News Banner still are searching for the best angle on even the most obscure story. A good less for us all.

Best wishes.

Michael D. Mosettig