Meet a Journalist

A journalist's profile, stories and career in the field of journalism. Know a journalist who should be profiled here? Send an e-mail to Janet E. Bardon

April 6, 2001
Ruth Bowiec
Lifestyles Editor, Daily Miner & News
Kenora, Ontario

The reason I became interested in journalism is because I was home with my three daughters and very bored, despite the fact they kept me busy. My husband's job took him out 'on the road' every week from Tuesday to Thursdays and tending children and the house was not all I wanted out of life. I had never taken a writing course, reporting job or anything like that, but I would write letters to all my friends from coast to coast (met them through a Traveller's Club) and my letters were so descriptive when they wrote back they'd all say, I should be writing for a paper, my letters are so interesting. One lady friend said to me once, "When I receive your letter, I don't open it until I've put on a pot of coffee. When the coffee's ready, I sit down at the kitchen table and just have the best time reading all your newsy notes."

One day in October of 1968 or '69 (I forget), I was reading our skimpy daily paper and there didn't seem to be any news of interest to women or women's issues. I thought, this paper isn't worth me continuing to pay for daily delivery, so unless I can change the paper there's no sense wasting money on it. That very day, I called the publisher of the Daily Miner and News and booked an appointment. Then dressed up and quite nervous, I met with him and told him I could improve his newspaper. He said "I doubt that very much, you've never written anything." Much chagrined I replied, "I know I can make this paper more interesting to women and I'll work for three months free of charge to prove it." He replied, "I don't think so and besides if I was to hire someone, they would be paid. I don't expect people to work for me for nothing."

So, dejected I left the office and returned home. The very next day my husband told me at lunch time the publisher of the paper wanted to see me and didn't know what about. I hadn't told my husband of my brazen attempt to become a newspaper writer in case I fell flat on my face, which I did. I told my husband I didn't know either, but went to see him that afternoon. He told me he had thought it over, I was right, women's issues were not addressed much, if at all in his paper, and he wanted to hire me at a whopping salary of $33 a month. I had to accept as I had already bragged I would write three months for free - so I took the job and we picked the name The Bee Line, after the three B's of my daughters, Barbara, Beverley and Bonita.

It took some time to invade the community to garner information. I started going to all Sunday church services to get a hold of their church bulletins which contained meeting information, baptisms, etc.

I actually attended the meetings of the church women's groups which I thought would be of interest to readers because of a good guest speaker. I wrote about the speaker's topic and soon other churches and organizations asked me to cover their events. Before six months were up I had a pretty good column, filled with pertinent topics, recipes, fun things like bridal showers, end-of-season social windups, and The Bee Line was a big hit. At the end of the three months, the publisher called me into his office and said he was so pleased he was going to double my salary. I was now making $66 a month which, even in 1970 was not very much money.

When Bowes Publishing bought the paper, and learned all I was doing working many nights (as that is when social and informative events were held) plus many weekends as well as every day of the week, they upped my salary immediately to $300 a month. Over 30 years later I still only clear $1000 a month but I love my job and as I said in the beginning, "I would do it for nothing."

When I look back on my first columns, they are pitiful as I think I was writing at grade one level. With help from various Bowes editors, I gained much knowledge in the world of journalism, and self-taught, with their help, I'm very proud of The Bee Line as a survey has revealed it is the most read and most trusted item in the newspaper.

I've many highlights in the past 30 years, but I think the nicest one was a year ago when Ontario's Lieutenant Governor, Hillary Weston and her husband made an official visit to Kenora. Being the social reporter, I covered every aspect of their day long itinerary. At an afternoon tea, held on the spacious grounds of the Mather-Walls Historical House, the Westons were escorted by pioneer clad servers to be seated in a screened in, shaded gazebo (it was a hot sunny day) to be served. Immediately, both Mrs. and Mr. Weston invited me to join them and they treated me not as an ordinary reporter but as a very special person.

I think my most memorable interview was with a teenage boy (16) who was an exchange student in Japan. When he returned, I interviewed him and he was still so excited blurting out all sorts of things he did, with his hosts in Japan (like get drunk on Saki) and left me all his notes in livid detail, complete with several photo albums of his experiences. The next day his mother came to see me asking if she could have his notes and albums as her son (I think it really was the mother) was having second thoughts about all the things he blurted out to me. I told her not to worry, I would never embarrass him or the family and she and her son would be delighted with the article. I left out details that were so personal as to be embarrassing and just did a super job relating his observations, experiences, sights and sounds, food and entertainment he experienced. His parents phoned me to thank me profusely saying people had phoned them about their son's Japanese experience and 'wasn't it a grand interview and how they loved reading about it'.

My mentor was the late Clarence Dusang, the senior reporter at the Miner and News when I started my column. He was a wealth of help, never got upset with me, directed me on the road to good, factual and honest journalism. The other two people I admire to this day are my first two Bowes editors, Ken Nelson and Ross Porter. They helped me on my way to getting out a grade one level in writing to (their words) on my way to a Ph.D. This shows if one is determined to listen and take good advice, have some stick-to-itiveness all things are possible.

I did not study journalism at a college and my advice to those wishing to enter this field is to go to college and learn to do it right. Be honest and fair with those you are interviewing. If you promise them you will do this or not do that, keep your promise. Never let any one you interview down and you will always be admired by your readers. And please, for heavens sake, learn proper English and do not be hesitant to use the dictionary. So many graduates we get at this paper today are terrible spellers and even with computer spell checking, they would receive a poor grade from me. It's pitiful and there really is no cause for bad spelling and grammar.

I think the biggest challenge facing journalists today is the fact, in print, on radio and tv. they let their feelings show through. All too often, their bias is evident - if they don't like something, you can see it on their faces on television, actually hear the sarcasm on radio, and read between the lines on paper.

I am due to retire as Kenora's Bee Line lady, but I think I will continue this wonderful job until I am ready to stay home and do nothing. I've always promised myself when, three mornings in a row, I wake up and say, "Gee, I wish I didn't have to go to work today" will be the week I request my pension. In over 33 years, this hasn't happened yet and with Bowes Publishing one can work until they are 69. Even then my boss at the Miner, said, "When you do finally retire Ruth, please consider coming in, at your own convenience, and do some feature articles for us. We will miss you and your great flair for writing." That is the ultimate tribute.