1. There’s a lot of back and forth over who broke the Herron story. Far as I know, @rubertuccinews and @CTVMontreal reported on it earlier (great work) and @Aaron_Derfel went deep on it Friday with about a dozen sources and a level of detail that pushed it over the edge.

2. Local journalism, when done well, is a public service. Employment is precarious, working conditions are stressful, it’s hard to plan for a family or buy a house when you don’t know if you’ll have a job or be forced to move to the city that shall remain nameless.

3. Also, given how busy, overworked and scattered everyone in the newsroom is, the work of good reporters often goes unnoticed (DONT GET ME STARTED ON EDITORS WHO CODDLE ALL OF US WHEN WE’RE BEING DIVAS). It can feel thankless, especially with being threatened with lawsuits.

4. So, regarding the Herron story, there was some excellent reporting by three journalists with three local news organizations (all of which are under immense financial pressure) that pressured the government to take action and properly investigate claims of criminal negligence.

5. I’m grateful to all of them, to the newsrooms and editors backing them up, to the spouses who put up with their ranting but mostly to the sources who put their careers and wellbeing at risk to get the story out. Debating over which individual reporter broke the story is silly.

6. I praised Aaron because I wouldn’t have a career if it weren’t for the class he taught me. And since he’s not a millennial or a baby boomer he sort of sucks at Twitter but lately he’s lighting it up. And I’m happy for him because I know how profoundly he cares about the work.

7. I praised him because his story provides a level of chilling detail that makes it impossible to look away. Of course it’s easier to do that and print versus broadcasting but I’m so proud of Aaron just as I’m proud of the other journalists who worked on the story.

8. Now I’m going to jump skipping rope and embarrass myself in front of my cat on Easter Sunday. God bless you all and remember to hug someone today if you can or call someone and tell them you love them. Especially journalist with cats. Who live alone.