Overseas journalist: Thank-you note to Rochester. And a promise to be back.
Time flies. Here I am, writing my final column for the D&C after spending a month in Rochester. Although I was counting the days to finally go back home, I must admit that I’m very sad to be leaving. I wouldn’t mind spending another month here.
Life in Rochester is so different from what I’m used to, in ways that are positive and challenging.
Before I share my journalism experience, I will start by saying that I did my weekly grocery shopping at Wegmans! I even went to the Public Market (will remember the taste of those tomatoes).
After my introductory column was published, I got numerous emails from local people. I was overwhelmed by all the recommendations you sent me, and I tried to experience most of them.
The most popular suggestion was to visit the museums. It’s fascinating that Rochester, a relatively small city, has so many great museums. I managed to visit three. My absolute favorite was the Strong Museum of Play. I hope I don’t sound too bold when I say that every child (and not only children) needs to visit this museum. The Eastman Museum and the Susan B. Anthony Museum also were impressive. Learning about their lives and work was inspiring, and I discovered that Susan B. Anthony and I share the same birthday (Feb. 15).
Of course, I couldn’t miss the chance to visit Buffalo and Niagara Falls. The view was breathtaking, easily the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.
Rochester really is about people
I enjoyed living in Rochester, but more than the sights, I love the people. They made me feel at home.
Almost everyone I met said, “Let me know if you need any help.” On my second day, I met Moses Robinson in a coffee shop. My friend Marili from the D&C introduced us.
As I was telling Robinson who I am and where I’m from, he pulled out a piece of paper and started writing. For a moment, I thought he wasn’t listening. Then he handed me his business card with his personal phone number written on it, saying, “Call your parents, tell them that you met a police officer, that you have my number, and you are safe here.” That is something I will never forget. Isn’t that how you take care of your community and everyone in it, regardless of who they are or where they come from?
This newsroom has changed the way I look at stories
My colleagues at the D&C helped me dive into local reporting and shift my perspective on stories. I visited neighborhoods, talked to people, listened to their concerns, and helped voice them. I went to Housing Court and heard stories of people going through hard times. Right before my flight back, I attended the Juneteenth Fair with the team and got to meet and talk with people celebrating an important holiday of independence.
While it was tempting to live a “tourist-like” life in Rochester, meeting only nice people and learning only the best about the city, I’m grateful to my colleagues for showing me how things actually work here. They allowed me to see the real problems, even though these might not be the things you proudly share with a first-time visitor.
The experience centered on real, local journalism. I saw how much my colleagues care for every person they write about and how hard they try to help the community they live in. Once, I thought that local journalism must be easier because you target a smaller audience and cover narrower topics. Now I realize that the quality and volume of work depends neither on the size of the audience nor on the topic. It all depends on your mission and the tenderness you have toward your readers.
I used to think that if a country does not have a war going on in its territory, it does not have much to worry about. In the States, I came to realize that every country, community and society has unique problems that are not comparable. There is no need to compare, as the consequences of hunger, gun violence, racism or homophobia are as devastating as war.
This is a thank-you note to Rochester and its residents for the warm welcome and the feeling of home, and a promise to be back.
The Democrat and Chronicle was pleased to host Armenian journalist Lucy Manvelian this spring. She was here thanks to a partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies that makes possible the U.S.-Armenia Professional Partnership in Journalism Program. Lucy and Armenian journalists at other American newspapers this spring are seeking to improve their understanding of disinformation, strengthen their reporting skills, and cultivate U.S. relationships.
Email Lucy at lucymanvelian@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Visiting reporter Lucy Manvelian: Thank you, Rochester. I'll be back.
