Philip DeVencentis bids farewell to the towns of Oakland, Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes where he has covered the news for North Jersey Media’s weekly newspapers.
North Jersey Media, commonly known as The Bergen Record, publishes The Record seven days a week, plus the weekly newspapers devoted to individual towns.
The latest buzz words in mainstream media revolve around hyper-local journalism, but it’s something that has been practiced in Bergen County by The Record for generations – without the fancy terminology – just straightforward news about local communities.
DeVencentis, now 28, has been on the local beat in Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff from 2007 to 2012, and as of September 4th 2012 he will be the assistant editor of the Twin-Boro News which serves Bergenfield, Dumont, and New Milford.
These reporters and editors keep local residents informed on events, news, and share in the local celebrations and tragedies. It’s refreshing to remember that the work they do provides an important service to the community.
The Journal reached out to Philip DeVencentis, and asked about his time serving in our communities.
What have you learned while covering the FLOW towns?
I covered all three towns while working for Suburban News. I learned that for every similarity that exists between Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff, there are at least a thousand more things that make each of those communities uniquely special. The communities will always be linked due to the fact that they send students to the same regional high schools. But until you dig in there and learn about their issues, you will not know how different they are. I think the identities of each community have been diluted over the years because people put so much emphasis on this concept of a “FLOW” region. The only way that could be overcome, in my opinion, is for citizens to take charge of the issues within their own borders. That’s what happened last year in Oakland when a group of citizens banded together after Irene to help victims of flooding. Community spirit was restored soon after that disastrous storm, and Oakland was Oakland again. Looking from the outside in, while growing up in Mahwah, it was hard to tell the difference between the three communities. Now I know.
What are some of the biggest challenges that a reporter in a small town faces?
In my opinion, the single biggest challenge facing small-town reporters is time management. It may seem odd that a small-town reporter would have so many responsibilities to juggle. But, when you really think about it, if you are a reporter in a small town, you most likely work for a small newspaper, with a small staff, with limited resources. My responsibilities at Suburban News were much more than covering the Borough Council every other Wednesday. We did a lot more behind the scenes to put out the paper every week. I’m not going to bore you with the details, but when a reporter has so many responsibilities besides reporting, something has to give. That may mean some stories fall through the cracks. Or, it may mean I have to respectfully decline when a reader proposes I write a feature about her son or daughter who won an award of some kind. It becomes very difficult to find the time to write about everything you want to write about. It takes impeccable news judgment to prioritize your stories and then deliver the most informative product to readers on a weekly basis.
What will you miss most about reporting on the FLOW area?
I will miss the people I have encountered most of all. Virtually everyone I met over the past five-plus years in Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff has been wonderful to me. I couldn’t imagine beginning my career anywhere else but here. As I said to one official, I am feeling spoiled, as I move on to cover three different communities. I can only hope that everyone there is just as wonderful.
Do you get many complaints that an article you wrote did not tell the full story?
Yes, this does happen. I wouldn’t say “many” complaints, but certainly some. When it does happen, my editor and I talk to the reader as diplomatically as we possibly can in order to quell his or her concern. Rarely, if ever, has a reader threatened legal action. Sometimes, though, it is necessary to publish a clarification or correction in the next edition.
What was the most fun aspect of reporting here?
I am a sucker for local history. I can’t get enough. It was a lot of fun learning the histories of the communities I covered. I would dare say that Oakland, in particular, has one of the richest histories in all of Bergen County. Visits to the Van Allen House, discussions about the tercentennial of Ponds Reformed Church with church elders — those are the occasions that will stick in my mind for years to come.
Do people ever share gossip and expect you to print it?
Yes, people have gossiped with me, though I honestly don’t recall anyone sharing gossip and necessarily expecting me to print it. What will happen more often is a person will tip me off to some rumor going around and then ask that I investigate further. Of course, that is not what I am hired to do. But I don’t mind when people gossip with me — at the end of the day, we’re all rumormongers at heart.
Why did you become a journalist?
I would love to tell you that becoming a journalist was a dream come true. However, when I graduated from college in 2006, I did not know what I wanted to be. I was under pressure to find work, as many recent college graduates can attest, so I ended up interviewing for several jobs that didn’t even appeal to me. I soon realized that becoming a newspaper reporter was my best option because I had at least taken some journalism courses in college. I felt it was really the only profession I was prepared for. I was an English major, so most of my college courses dealt with analyzing literature and creative writing. To make a long story short, I interviewed in February 2007 to work for Suburban News as one of its three reporters. The following month, I was given my first assignment on a free-lance basis: covering a Planning Board hearing in Oakland. A month after that, I was hired. At this point, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Outside of an elected official, you have probably attended more municipal meetings than any member of the public. Do you think you might one day run for office on the local level?
It has crossed my mind; however, I can’t say with any degree of certainty that I actually will run for public office because, as of now, my job would prohibit it. Logistically speaking, I can’t do it because I still have to cover meetings at night. It wouldn’t work if, hypothetically, my own council met on the same night as another I was covering. But the bigger conflict, in my opinion, is that I would have to reveal my political views. As long as I am a journalist in this area, I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to run for public office.
Thanks and good luck to Philip
I wish Phillip the best of luck for his future endeavor and he always did a great job on all of the local pieces he wrote. His replacement will have big shoes to fill and I wish that person luck as well in their new job.