person behind it. — Randy told his son David at a Cardinals game.
It’s not about the camera. It’s about the
Randy earned a bachelor’s in journalism in 1978, and became a mainstay at The Daily Citizen newsroom for 13 years.
you smile when you say it. — Randy said in regards to an editor’s role
Background art work: Photo by Randy Kemp, fall foliage.
Randy begins ‘newsman’ journey in White County Masters two newsrooms over three decades
“You know he was a beat reporter in Searcy for years,” his wife, Peggy, explained. “He enjoyed being in the middle of things.” “I think he enjoyed all the connections or relationships with people in the newspaper business,” his son, David, said. “He was interested in people and I know he liked the relationships he got to build with thousands of people. Tat whole note pad wouldn’t hold the names of the people that he touched.” Randy was an award-winning newspaperman of high journalistic integrity who practiced and taught fair and accurate coverage of the public’s business. David described a conversation he had with Randy one day about dealing with the public’s requests not to publish certain stories in the newspaper. “We were sitting and talking one day and I asked him about handling
R
people’s requests to not publish something that should be published,” David said. Some of these requests are oftentimes accompanied by offers of ser- vices, goods or other instruments of bribery. Te stories were of course a matter of public record and Randy’s journalistic integrity wouldn’t allow for any inconsistencies in coverage. “He taught me something that day,” David said. “How do you … tell them,” David remembers asking his father. Randy smiled and said, “I’ve learned you can say any thing if you smile when you say it.” Te merger of two newspapers in Cleburne County presented the next step in Randy’s career path. Te Cleburne County News and Ar- kansas Sun newspapers in Heber Springs consolidated efforts after being purchased by the same company. He became the editor of the newly named Sun-Times in 1990. “When Te Cleburne County Times and Arkansas Sun in Heber
Springs were purchased by my employer, I was named publisher and knew we would need a special person to serve as editor of the consoli- dated newspapers,” said Gene A. Austin, former Sun-Times publisher. “I was excited when I received Randy Kemp’s resume. He was a proven newsman with an easy going personality and the personal values needed
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andy Kemp earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1978 and was the reporter who could do it all at Te Daily Citizen in Searcy for 13 years. His roles at Te Daily Citi- zen ranged from photographer to beat reporter.
to accomplish our task at hand. Randy did an exceptional job building a competent staff. Under his leadership, the staff provided excellent news coverage, pulling together Times and Sun readers and advertisers. Randy was a special person and I miss him.” Randy’s “jack of all trades” reputation and skill set served him well as he cultivated the news gathering forces, policies and local sources for the newly formed paper. “His first words of advice were, ‘if you are getting into this business for fame and fortune, you need a new major because that is not going to happen,” Lorie Mink, Sun-Times co-editor wrote on the Sun-Times Web site in a comment chat set up for Randy. “Reporting is pretty much a thankless job that causes you nothing but grief. People will yell at you and call you names. Te hours are long, the pay is small, and at the end of the day, the only thing you have to fall back on is your sense of accomplishment at getting the truth out to the people.’ He taught me everything I know.” Photography was also a skill that came naturally to Randy and it was one he continued to hone during his years of newspapering and “on the side” photography jobs. Te newspaper business is not known to be one of the highest paying
professions, Peggy pointed out, and “Randy did what he needed to do for his family.” Peggy and Randy took a photography course together in college and
Peggy said it was apparent that Randy had that “innate skill” of shoot- ing with a great eye. At a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game, David said he was toting a
very nice point-and-shoot camera while Randy just had his iPhone. “I asked him, ‘Dad don’t you want to use my camera instead of your phone?’” David said he mentioned how his camera had more megapix- els and so on. “It’s not about the camera,” Randy simply said as he smiled. “It’s about the person behind it.” Sources: Sun-Times On the Web: See numerous comments from former co-workers and friends gath-
ered by the Sun-Times on its Web site and Facebook pages after Randy’s death. Go to
www.arcounties.org and click on News and Noteworthy and look for “Randy Kemp, Sun-Times comments.”
COUNTY LINES, WINTER 2012
I’ve learned you can say anything if
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