In August 2012, my friends and I took a day trip to Greers Ferry, Ark., for a few hours on the lake and an early-20s past time — cliff jumping.
Looking down over the edge of the 30-foot cliff was a little dizzying, and if we’re being honest, even after watching my buddy launch himself off without a bit of hesitation, I was scared.
A 10-foot diving board is the highest I had ever jumped from before, and this was much more daunting. After enduring some deserved jests from my friend group, I finally gathered my courage and told myself to just take the leap.
At the end of a three-step run-up, I found myself flying through the air toward the lake, stomach in my throat and heart exploding. I crashed into the water and kicked myself back up from its depths triumphant and ready to do it again.
The free falling feeling was akin to how I felt last week as the Barry County Sheriff Candidates Forum approached. Having never hosted my own forum or debate, I had taken the leap and was eyeing my landing on Friday, hoping to come out or the water as proud as I did at the lake that day — and I did.
All candidates arrived on time and ready to go, and all performed very well. We had intended to ask nine questions, but since the candidates stayed time-aware on their answers, we included a 10th question we had listed as an alternate.
The questions we asked were deliberately crafted to allow the candidates to showcase their plans and goals if elected, while also leaving little opportunity for the candidates to directly criticize one another.
Whether it was that intentional question crafting or the candidates’ intended demeanors, maybe both, I was pleased the forum stuck to the issues.
Judging by the feedback I received after the event, the candidates and the audience agreed — the event was a boon to political coverage of the election, both informative and professional.
I could not be more proud of that outcome, and I owe thanks to the sheriff candidates and all attendees for contributing to it. As happy as I am with how it went, there’s always room for improvement. No event is without a few complications, and we had our share of ours.
About 10 minutes before the forum was to begin, I thought I’d do a last mic check to make sure all worked properly. Each candidate had his own wireless mic, and all were tested the day prior. Yet, when I checked, only two were working. Turns out I don’t think I had the receiver turned on completely, and after a few frantic minutes, the problem was solved.
After my introduction and explanation of format and rules, we completely bypassed opening statements and went directly into questions. By the time I realized, we just had to push forward. I am sure the candidates noticed, and I thank them for going with the flow.
Audio was also a struggle, especially on the livestream. I placed the candidates in the back of the room to give the event an air of grandeur using space. Unfortunately, I had placed them directly under an air conditioning vent, which muddied the livestream audio.
It was so poor and disappointing to me personally, I have researched and purchased a directional mic I hope, combined with better anticipation of background noise during setup, will greatly improve livestreams in the future. Audio is one of the most difficult things to get right on a stream, and we need to get better at it!
Fortunately, I have another opportunity coming up. On Thursday at 7 p.m. at the FEMA Event Center, we are hosting a second forum, this one for Northern Commissioner Candidates Gary Schad and Gary Klossing.
My first leap into forum-hosting is complete, and I’m ready to get back on the cliff and do it again
Kyle Troutman has served as editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014 and owner/publisher since 2023. He was named William E. James/ Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers in 2017, and he is a two-time ISWNE Golden Dozen award winner. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@
cassville-democrat.
com.
