Tom Martin’s Post

The Dispatch-Argus/Quad-City Times landed four first place awards in the Illinois Press Association contest earlier this month. The staff did well, with 10 awards overall, and both Tom Loewy and I earned first place awards. Tom won for his obituary tribute to a homeless man, and I won for editorials pushing for government transparency. Tom and I worked together for 15 years at The Register-Mail in Galesburg before we each landed in this Davenport newsroom, so this one feels particularly rewarding. 

I’m urging my reporters to step back from their incremental coverage of ongoing stories and write a story that provides a fuller picture and context. I’m calling these “clarity” stories. I ask my reporters to imagine the story the New York Times (or choose your favorite metro newspaper or magazine) would write about the big issue we’re covering. They would put it all into one compelling story. Locally, we’re apt to tell pieces of the story as we learn them, which does serve the immediate need for information. But too often, we don’t step away and put the whole story together for readers. My reporter Tom Loewy wrote exactly this kind of story about a double homicide in Davenport. I’ll give you the first few graphs of the story. Davenport man opened his home to his alleged killers (qctimes.com)   Brian Goodwin was a soft touch. The 44-year-old loaned friends cash when they needed it. He allowed them to borrow his cars when they didn't have one. As The Quad-Cities Times detailed in earlier reporting, Goodwin even provided large amounts of cash or collateral to bail friends out of the Scott County Jail.   Goodwin also invited family members and friends to stay in the basement apartment he rented at 5210 N. Division St. in Davenport. He had a spare room. If that was occupied, a couch was always available for a friend who needed to surf for a few days.   Brian Goodwin, 44, was found dead in his home at 5210 N. Division Street on Tuesday, Jan. 16.   In late September of 2023, Goodwin allowed a 27-year-old to crash at 5210 N. Division St. She had been evicted from her apartment. Within a short period of time, she moved into the spare room. Later, she moved in a man who was described as her boyfriend.   The woman's name is Adriana Blake. Her boyfriend is named Devon Braet. It was a living arrangement that may have cost Goodwin his life. Blake and Braet are charged with the Jan. 15 murders of Goodwin and another woman who was staying with him, a 44-year-old from Clinton, Amy Smith. Search warrant applications and court records from Scott, Clinton and Rock Island counties offer a glimpse into the circumstances that drew the four people together at 5210 N. Division St. in the months before the murders.

Here’s me at the University of Iowa school of journalism Tuesday. I hadn’t been there since I graduated a long time ago. The Quad-City Times has a great tradition of landing Iowa talent, and I hope to continue that. Talent, determination and aim will establish how high we can fly.

We have three open positions in the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus newsroom. Today is last call for applications for a 10-week reporter internship. We also have a reporter position open to cover Moline, Rock Island and East Moline, and we are hiring a news coordinator, someone to coordinate incoming communications to the newsroom. Both the news reporter and news coordinator jobs are full-time and include a full benefits package. News Coordinator   https://lnkd.in/gmPaC9Q4 Intern - News  https://lnkd.in/gwDGpHtZ Municipal Reporter  https://lnkd.in/gE-hbg4Y

Just two classes left to finish my Digital Audience Strategy master's at Arizona State's Cronkite School of Journalism. It's been a challenging, at times uncomfortable, ride but I've learned so much. This Social Media certification was part of the class I finished at the close of February. It's cool to be able to implement these digital strategies live at the Quad-City Times.

The Quad-City Times and Dispatch-Argus are hiring. We have an opening for a news reporter and our summer internship is now open. We need applicants who will make us better. We want to be the best in Illinois and Iowa. If you can help us us, please apply. https://lnkd.in/grnMF-5s https://lnkd.in/gjcGgQfB

Journalism colleagues, we're looking for a city reporter to cover the Illinois side of the Quad-Cities. This is a newsroom focused on enterprise and investigative reporting. Come join us! Apply at https://lee.net/careers/ and search for Davenport as the location. When applying, please submit the following items: a cover letter; a resume detailing relevant journalism experience; and five examples of published journalism work.

We're looking for an enterprising reporter who is ready to dig into city government issues. Could the next piece of this award-winning newsroom be you? Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus is hiring a municipal reporter. The Quad-Cities is a metro area of 380,000 people. Apply at https://lee.net/careers/ and search for Davenport as the location. When applying, please submit the following items: a cover letter; a resume detailing relevant journalism experience; and five examples of published journalism work.

It's hard to find a kid on a bike delivering newspapers these days, but my son Finn continues to wake up at 6 a.m. and deliver his route. At a group discussion recently I was asked why more kids don't deliver newspapers, as they did in previous decades. One of the main reasons is that fewer print subscribers means larger routes, too big for a kid on a bike who still has to get to school in the morning. Finn does a sliver of his grandpa's route, otherwise it wouldn't work. A strong work ethic creates a foundation for success.