Joseph Schultz has joined Townbroadcast as staff writer to complement meetings coverage for the on-line newspaper.
A resident of Leighton Township, Schultz said, “Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been interested in the news. I used to read the newspaper every day, back when the Grand Rapids Press was published daily. I was, and still am, a news geek.
“Journalism has always fascinated me, even though my career path has led me through retail, manufacturing, and financial services. In many of those roles, I wrote reports for senior management. For three different employers, I helped write the training manual for my department.”
Schultz said he wanted to share the places he visited and the things he discovered with others. So he began contributing to Google Maps, acting as a tour guide for the local community.
“To date, I’ve submitted 71 reviews, uploaded 319 photos, and received over 25 million views.
“Now, I have the honor of reporting for TownBroadcast.com. I’m excited because it’s important to me to care for my family, stay active in my church, and remain involved in my community.”
Proprietor David T. Young said Schultz’s willingness to join the community journalism team as a writer probably has saved TownBroadcast, which Young said he was considering shutting down later this year. Instead, the two will share duties of covering the “meat and potatoes” part of community journalism in an effort to avoid missing meetings, especially when they occur on the same nights.
“It informs the community about what’s happening in northeast Allegan County,” Schultz said. “ It is a role that TV and radio news outlets simply don’t fulfill.”
