The Fayetteville Observer's 40 Under 40 Class of 2023: Meet Catharin Lawrence Shepard
Catharin Lawrence Shepard, 39, of Raeford, is the editor of The News-Journal.
She was nominated for 40 Under 40 because she "provides a tremendous service to the entire community in Hoke County through her work in journalism," a nominator writes. "She wears the hat of historian, investigator, consultant, reporter, journalist, columnist and editor. She also volunteers with many organizations in Hoke County including the local soup kitchen, the Literacy Council, the public library, the museum, the Chamber of Commerce and many others. Catharin has more than 20 years of journalism experience, 12 of which have been with the News-Journal. While Catharin has been on staff, the newspaper has won more than 35 awards from the North Carolina Press Association."
Here's what else you should know about this member of The Fayetteville Observer's 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.
Who are your immediate family members?
Mom; Anna Catharin Brown of Raeford; dad (deceased), Joseph Lawrence Shepard of Spring Lake; maternal grandmother (deceased), Catharin McConnaughey Brown; uncle and aunt, Bill and Kathy Brown of Raeford. I have two cats: one was a freebie from the city parking lot, and one was a discounted, pre-loved model from the Hoke County Animal Shelter (which can always use donations, fosters and forever homes). I also have six (harmless) pet snakes and one bearded dragon.
What does your job entail?
I’m the editor of The News-Journal, a locally-owned newspaper that’s been covering Raeford and Hoke County for over 100 years. We’re a small operation, so I’m also the full-time reporter who writes our stories. You’ll see me at graduations, county commission meetings, house fires and everything in between. I take photos, help with customer service and provide scritches on demand for our office cat, Salem.
Where did you receive your education?
Hoke County High School, Class of 2001; the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, B.S. in mass communication (2004); the University of Georgia–Grady College of Journalism, M.A. in mass communication (2008)
What community and professional groups are you affiliated with?
The North Carolina Press Association
How do you volunteer your time in the community?
Working in the news business makes it difficult to volunteer consistently as it’s a 24/7 job, but I try to help out where I can and I’m interested in new opportunities! I love to share the good news about what our local nonprofits, churches and veterans’ organizations are doing. Previously, I served three years on the board of directors for the Raeford-Hoke Chamber of Commerce.
What is one thing you wish people knew or understood better about your profession?
I wish people knew that local newspapers are driven by care, compassion and a desire to see their community prosper. Local journalism is practically a different species than national or even statewide reporting. We live where we work, and what affects our readers affects us, too. Raeford’s my hometown; my family has been in Hoke County since before it became a county in 1911. Being a journalist is how I choose to serve others in the place I grew up, and I consider it an honor and a privilege to do so. I want people from Hoke County to have better opportunities to chase their dreams and, no matter their circumstances or where life takes them, always have reason to be proud of where they came from.
Sometimes in service of others, I get to share stories of incredible people doing amazing things. Other times, it’s my job to shed light on contentious or even tragic situations. It doesn’t mean I want to encourage discord for discord’s sake or cause harm to anyone — but rather to fulfill my responsibility to provide people with the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves, their families and their future. I believe we as individuals and as a society can always find ways to be better, for ourselves and for each other if we embrace the courage to move past fear, pride and assumptions. But getting there isn’t always easy or painless. To that end, local journalism is a necessary cornerstone to a functioning society, though it is not always a comfortable one.
What's the best advice you've ever received and/or the worst advice you've ever followed?
The best advice I’ve been given is “consider the source.” It’s something my grandmother and mother have both told me. Before you get worked up about something, consider who said or did it and what their reasons might have been.
The worst advice I’ve ever followed involved GPS directions.
What goal have you already achieved, and how did you make it happen?
My most important goal is to help others, and I do that by listening. At their heart, people want to be heard and to feel heard. Everything I do starts with listening and grows from there. I tape the thank-you letters people send us to the window of my office as a visible reminder that it’s possible to help others, even if it’s in a small way. Those letters are also a reminder that it’s a goal I’ll never be done pursuing.
If you weren't in your current profession, what would you be?
If I weren’t a journalist, I would be unemployed. Once this career gets into your bones, it’s hard to even think of leaving it behind. If I ever do, I’ll be an ex-journalist who happens to be working as a (fill-in-the-blank). Admittedly, though, I’d probably love being a librarian.
What are five things (not people or pets) you can't live without?
Stories: Whether fiction or nonfiction, book or podcast or video game, regardless of if it’s one I’m reading or one I’m writing. Stories inform, they teach, they inspire, they show us something new about ourselves. They help us connect with others in the past and present and encourage us to explore ways to create a brighter future.
Tomatoes: I will put tomatoes in anything. It’s said that knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit and wisdom is knowing tomatoes are a fruit but don’t belong in a fruit salad. I say that’s coward talk. Tomatoes can belong in a fruit salad if you try your best and believe in yourself.
North Carolina’s coast: Day-tripping to any of N.C.’s beaches to nap on a blanket and poke through those little tourist trap shops is one of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday.
Stores that are open late: I keep weird hours. God bless every single cashier who’s ever had to greet me at the checkout at one minute before closing. You’re doing the Lord’s work, and also, I’m very sorry.
iPhone: Yes, I know, it’s true for everyone these days, but who wants to admit to it? But I don’t have cable at home, so I use my phone for entertainment as well as work. I’m probably making T-Mobile regret ever introducing an unlimited data plan, and I’m not sorry. You can throttle my data speed, but you'll never take my Spotify app.
What's something you do outside of work to enrich yourself?
Gardening, crochet and cross stitch are my current hobbies. Keeping my cats from eating my cross-stitch floss is also a hobby. I enjoy video games, both retro and new, especially long RPGs. I read as much and as widely as I can, but I have a soft spot for urban fantasy and doorstopper epic fantasy.
Some responses may have been edited for style and grammar.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: 40 Under 40: Catharin Lawrence Shepard of the News-Journal
