Name on the Line 8,11 June 2001
Ever since I worked on the newspaper in high school, I’ve called authoring credit a "byline." Whether that is the correct term, I think it makes sense, after all, the line under the title of the story reads "by [insert author’s name]."
Bylines are very important to me. I see it as a statement to the world that says, "Look at me, I did something worth note." Painters have their signatures; journalistic writers have bylines.
While working at The Leavenworth Times in the composing room, I had the opportunity to socialize with the newsroom staff on occasion. I let them know that I like to write. Ron Piche, editor of the paper, told me to give him a sample of my writing. I did, and he said he’d use me.
My first assignment was a for a weekly feature called "The Sunday Scene." I interviewed a man about the Fort Leavenworth Fox Hunt and wrote an article about it. I searched archived photos about the fox hunt and included them on the page I paginated. Thus, I received my first professional byline.
I researched an article for the Leavenworth Times special edition called Decades: 1990s. Since I based every bit of my research on previously published articles by Connie Parrish, and she had more to add to the article, when the piece was published I shared the byline with Connie. To me, it only made sense to share.
I recently got my first byline in the Fort Leavenworth Lamp for a short piece about the opening of the pools. The piece was mainly just a list of dates and times. It was no big deal really, except that it meant a byline. I was really excited that I got a byline.
I was so excited, in fact, that I told myself I’d write more articles for the Lamp about Morale, Welfare, Recreation activities and get more bylines.
June 7 was the second time the Lamp printed my name in a byline. Unfortunately, the article I read that day was not the article I submitted. A few changes is no big deal, but all the changes that were made drove me crazy.
What was written in the article had to be written. "Special to the Lamp," would have suited me fine. I mean, I’d rather get no byline than get a byline for something I didn’t write.
What is on the line when my name is printed is more than just twelve letters and a period. What is on the line when my name is printed is a piece of myself. A byline is a representative of who I am. What is on the line is my very reputation as a writer.
~Philip M. Flynt