05/20/2018
Looking Back Over the Past 30 Years at Green Banner,
Working for a Wonderful Company and
Expert Leadership; and now Looking Forward to the Future
Well it all started for me 30 years ago, my co-worker now, Marty Randall mention to my photography and English teacher, Ron Atkins, if he knew of anyone of his students would be interested in a part-time reporting job at The Giveaway, The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle. Mr. Atkins approached me with the idea of working for the newspapers. So i was scheduled to graduate on that Sunday, in May 1988, and after I came home from graduation, I got a call from the Managing Editor, Bob Hollis, asking me to come for an interview and I got the job.. I still had a couple more days of going in to finish the yearbook so i did that on Tuesday and Thursday of that week. My job consisted of working Monday, Wednesday and Friday of each week, as I shared a desk with Marty Randall, who was only working Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I worked part-time for a few years, and eventually became full-time. Reporting on events in the community, covering the schools in Austin, Scottsburg, Crothersville and Henryville. This was during the time that everyone had to get their news in newspaper. There were no internet and Facebook to share your good news to the community, except through the newspaper. People always loved to see their pictures in the newspaper, I enjoyed taking pictures at events and programs and sporting events. I even worked in the newspaper’s darkroom for many years, back when we use to develop our own film and print out the pictures to be used in the newspaper. I really enjoyed that time being creative in the darkroom and trying to make the pictures turn out to the right composition to be featured in the newspaper.
I worked as a reporter for nearly nine years. During that time, Joe Green, my publisher and owner of Green Banner Publications approached me with an offer.... He asked me would I be willing to go to college to get a journalism degree. I said that I would. When would I ever get this opportunity to get a degree in the field that I enjoyed doing. So Mr. Green sent me to Indiana University Southeast were I obtained my Degree in Journalism. This was one of my most proudest accomplishments, cause at that time, I was the first one in my family to ever get to go to college. It was a blessing from God...
During this same time, I married my wife, Jennifer White Amos, my high school sweetheart. It was the best time of my life. However, it wasn’t easy balancing working full-time, going to school full-time and being newly married. It was a challenge, but with the help of my wife, we made it through those years.
Shortly after getting my journalism degree, my managing editor announced that he would be leaving the newspaper to pursue a job as the Veteran’s Affair Officer. So at that time I went to my boss and told him that I was interested in the position. So that was 21 years ago I became the managing editor of The Giveaway, The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle. It’s been a position and career that I have truly enjoyed. I can say that it is truly been a blessing to be able to have a job that I have loved my entire career. Not many folks get to be that lucky.
Through the years, I have learned to do other aspects of the newspaper business, from selling display advertisements and legal advertisements to classified ads. When you work in a small office you learn to help out and pitch-in when you are needed. I appreciate that opportunity. It has given me the chance to better understand the workings of a newspaper business.
Through the years, I have seen many changes in technology from using dinosaur computers to the latest in technology. We use 35 mm camera and moved to digital cameras, and now we just use our smartphones for pictures.
I remember working at our main plant in Pekin, every Tuesday and Friday mornings laying out and designing the newspaper with my co-workers.
My Tuesday morning would start at 8 am. and continue sometimes until 12 midnight, trying to put together The Giveaway, The Banner Gazette and The Leader newspapers. Then I would get up on Friday mornings at 4:30 a.m. and head back to Pekin to put The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle together so it could be printed for our readers. We worked some strange hours at times, but even though it was long hours, we still enjoyed our jobs and the people we worked with were like a family. Most of the time we were with them more than our own families. It got to the point at times I would bring my wife in at times and she would actually work and help me set up the newspapers and type up news for the newspapers, just so we could spend time together.
Back then when putting the newspaper together we would have to write the stories, print the pictures, trim out the news and pictures, run each item in a machine that put a coat of wax on the back of each story and picture so we could paste it on a piece of paper called a flat. I would joke sometimes saying if I knew all I had to know was cut and paste, i could have dropped out of school in first grade. But cut and paste is definitely different now with computers and the new technology. What took us hours to put a newspaper together, was cut down considerably. I’ve seen a lot of changes in my 30 years with Green Banner Publications, and I can honestly say, I worked for one of the best companies in the world. The newspaper was a family-run business, and that over-flowed into its workers. They became more like family than friends. We have made so many memories together. I know I made so many friends with my former employees who had worked at the Scottsburg office through the years and I treasure those times that we shared. I’ve made many friends with my co-workers at the Pekin office as well. It will not be the same, not seeing you all again at the newspaper, when it shuts down on Wednesday, May 23.
I will miss working with my current crew here at Scottsburg and at Pekin and those at the Charlestown office as well. You have left a lasting impression on me that will last a lifetime.
I also want to thank the members of the community, the business owners, our local readership that have been loyal to us through the years. We do what we do here at the newspaper because we know you all care about your community and want to know what is happening.
I know the void this is gonna leave on this community, as The Giveaway, The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle has been in operation between 85 years with Green Banner Publications to 140-plus years with The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle. It records our local history. It’s a way to share our triumphs, our victories, our celebrations, our laughs, our joys, even our sorrows. Leaving Green Banner after 30 years, feels like a death in the family. It is very difficult to face the end.
It reminds me of another time in my life when my wife, Jennifer, passed away in 2012, that period of time was such a hard time for me and my daughter, Emily, who was just six years old at the time.
The community came together as well as my co-workers and the Green Banner itself to comfort during that time of loss. I remember one moment, I was having a rough time, and my boss, Joe Green, took me outside, and with compassion and heartfelt words, he prayed over me and my daughter. That meant more to me than he will ever know. Our boss was one of the finest men to ever work for, he truly cared about his employees. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to learn from him and from everyone I have worked with.
Now its time to close the door on my time with Green Banner Publications, 30 years have come and gone, and I can say now looking back they have flown by.
My future looks bright, I plan to continue in the same line of work, The legacy that I have grown up with will still continue in this new adventure. God has called me to do a new thing and I always try to follow God when He leads me down this new path. Normally, in situations like this, people are normally uneasy of what is gonna happen next. I have faith that God has directed my path, so that tells me he has gone on before me to prepare my path, so why shouldn’t I be excited for this next adventure that God has prepared for me.
So thanks for the memories, support, love, kindness and respect that I have received from so many folks in this community. I do my next project to give back to my community, and you all still need this project.
Looking forward to see you all in the near future.
God’s Many Blessings
Upon Each of You!
Marcus Greene Amos
Managing Editor - The Giveaway, The Scott County Journal and The Chronicle
