VALDOSTA – Readers sometimes wonder about a reporter’s process to produce newspaper articles. 

Reporters at The Valdosta Daily Times occasionally get questions about who they’ve interviewed, why certain details were omitted or included or why a report was presented in a certain way.

As part of a new approach titled Lifting the Veil, The Valdosta Daily Times answers some of these questions through online podcasts called “The Story Behind the Story.”

The purpose of the podcasts is to allow the VDT audience inside the newsroom to get to know reporters, the process of news gathering and the challenges reporters face, said Jim Zachary, Valdosta Daily Times editor and CNHI deputy national editor.

Reporters sit down with Zachary and Executive Editor Dean Poling to have candid conversations about the steps taken to report a story.

Conversations include the generation of ideas and concepts, persons interviewed, what was learned throughout interviewing and a more in-depth exploration of the topic.

Subjects have largely focused on long-form writing such as the drag community, public defenders, law-enforcement body cameras and homelessness in Lowndes County.

However, the newspaper plans to expand podcasts to include sports and other forms of newspaper writing.

Zachary said The Valdosta Daily Times interest is to not only build trust between the newspaper and the community it serves but to be the leading source of news and information.

“Newspapers have not always been as open and transparent and accessible as they could or should be, and we’re working really, really hard to change that culture,” he said.

“By doing so, our brand hopefully is one about openness and transparency that we create a newspaper that our community feels like it can trust.”

The podcasts are innovative and unique, the editor said. They are not to generate clicks or web traffic but rather they’re utilized to promote community relationships.

“I think the other residual thing is that the community should know that the reporters that are out there working every day are just people like them,” Zachary said.

“They’re just people and they’re people wanting to celebrate the community to tell stories but also people who believe in the importance of holding public officials accountable.”

In doing the podcasts, reporters are becoming more verbal and communicative.

Zachary said he hopes Lifting the Veil pushes the newspaper to think more strategically and intentionally about the way its audience is reached. 

“We have a long life ahead of us,” he said, “and as we continue to do what we do, we have to continue to pivot, continue to change (and) continue to grow.”

Listen to the VDT podcasts at valdostadailytimes.com/lifting_the_veil/.