After over 40 years of providing local journalism across Midwestern Ontario, Pat Raftis is hanging up his hat.
Raftis has been a longtime journalist with a career spanning from Grand Bend, to coverage for the Walkerton Herald Times, the Wellington Advertiser and returning to the Listowel Banner.
Raftis reflecting on his career mentioning among one the biggest events he had to cover and try to compete when it came to a local event gaining national coverage was the Walkerton water crisis.
“I was the editor of the Walkerton Herald Times at the time and I was there for about a year after it had happened and during that year it was the only story, everything always relayed back to that. We had to try and give people the important news they needed to know, they lived in that community. The national media was all over it, you couldn’t beat the breaking stuff but you had to get better information.” Raftis.
Raftis’ final day within local media comes to a close June 3rd.
He adds there’s plenty to take in for those looking at a career in journalism.
“Be curious, be accurate and be prepared for an unusual lifestyle, it is no 9-5 job and you have to be ready to step into action when the news breaks.”