The President's Corner

What did Iowa do
to deserve this?

By Jim Mertens, WQAD-TV, Moline

Jim Mertens,
IBNA president

As I write this column, my power has been restored after three days without electricity caused by a powerful windstorm that left 150,000 of my neighbors in the dark.  And this storm was hardly noticed outside the region even though two children died from it.  

It's a sign that in Iowa, everyone is still suffering.  That Quad City windstorm was merely a footnote to a storm season that has left few places in the state untouched.

It makes me think back to our 2008 IBNA convention in Waterloo, along the then-quiet Cedar River, where we talked about the deadly 1968 tornadoes and how we can better spot storms and cover them.  The convention has now proven to be very timely for Iowa Broadcasters -- exactly what we try to achieve each year, throughout the year.

Special awards categories
I now ask you to help us stay timely as next year's awards season arrives.  Please keep track of your storm coverage because we plan to have special award categories that will honor the stories you brought to your viewers and listeners this year.  You and your staffs have worked countless hours, told heartbreaking stories, and brought thousands of listeners and viewers to the very scenes of bad weather, massive flooding, and tornado outbreaks.

We will be looking to award the storm and flood stories that tell both the serious newsgathering you provided as well as the features you presented showing survivors, volunteers, and others who made a difference.  We'll want to see some of your exhaustive, in-depth coverage as well as some of the "spot news" situations your reporters highlighted on your broadcasts.

As always, our relevance depends not only on us, but you.  Please let us know the ways you think the IBNA can better serve you.  It's your organization.  Check out www.ibna.org to get up-to-date with this Association and drop us a line anytime at ibna@ibna.org.

We hope to better serve you this year and next... whether the weather's sunny or not! 

Contack Jim Mertens at: jim.mertens@WQAD.com