What I've learned in 20 years at the StarNews: The good, the bad, the ugly | John Staton

May 13 marks the 20th anniversary of my first day working at the StarNews.

The only reason I remember that is because back when I started we were owned by the New York Times and, for a long time, our hire date was a paid day off. It isn't that way anymore, but don't worry, I get plenty of paid days so it's cool.

As I look back over two decades at the StarNews, and at a 30-year (and counting) journalism career, what stands out is what a great job this has been, and how lucky I've been to have it. I'm from Wilmington and being part of my community is important to me, so getting to meet, interview, talk with, learn from and work with a bunch of fine and fascinating people has been a real priv​i​lege.

As I go back through the archives, at least the photo archives, another thing I realize is that there have been some truly hideous photos taken of me over the years. (The blame's all mine, and is not shared by the many great photographers we've employed.) Sadly, the ones you see here are the best of the bunch.

I've been an arts journalist and a features writer and editor for most of my career, though I've done plenty of news stories, so a lot of my work memories center on covering Wilmington's vibrant arts community: seeing shows, talking about art and ideas over coffee or drinks, and doing the hard but rewarding work of trying to do justice to the stories of so many wonderful artists.

I'm not an artist myself, but I've always loved spending time with musicians, actors, filmmakers, comedians and visual artists and learning about what they do, why it's important to them and how it enriches our community. As much if not more than any group, it's the artists who, in my opinion, make Wilmington such an interesting place to be. For my money, Wilmington's arts scene is as lively right now as it's ever been.

Yeah, I'm lucky to have won some awards for my work, but I don't really look at them as highlights or accomplishments. On the other hand, I'll always be proud of helping start the Wilmington Theater Awards in 2012 with my former colleague Jeff Hidek, Thalian Hall and members of Wilmington's theatrical community. The show, which will celebrate its 12th year in 2025, is now being produced by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County and I couldn't be happier to see it flourishing.

Speaking of Wilmington's theatrical community, I'll always treasure (and be scarred by) the roast they did of me back in 2015 . I never knew that having my ego handed to me could be so funny, or so much fun.

Other memories that spring to mind: I still can't believe the StarNews paid me and former reporter Amy Hotz to have a 12-course miniature golf tournament back in the day as part of a series of stories — the Hotz-Statonator Challenge — but that's something that happened. (Hotz didn't not win.)

In terms of memorable stories I've covered in the past 20 years, near the top of the list would have to be the Black Lives Matter protests downtown and the police actions that accompanied them in the summer of 2020. It was exciting, exhausting, scary at times and emotional, with moments both beautiful and ugly. I'm glad I got to cover it, but it also reminded me of why I prefer (and am better at) covering the arts.

Have things changed over the years? Absolutely. I always tell people that you could've been a reporter at the StarNews from the 1940s through the 1970s or '80s and the way you did your job wouldn't have changed all that much. The digital revolution has really transformed, in real time, the way I do my job several times over, but at its core it's pretty much the same. I tell people's stories to the best of my ability.

Chances are I don't have another 20 years at the StarNews, but hey, you never know. No matter how much longer I've got here, it's been a fantastic ride, and not one I'd trade for anything.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: What I've learned in 20 years at the StarNews: The good, the bad, the ugly | John Staton