By Matt Bayman | This Local Life
There will never be another Nancy Bowman. In terms of journalism, she was the Gold Standard, a leader, a master, a pro. Her writing was perfect. It was clear, consistent, accurate, fair and informative. It was everything journalism should be and something to admire.
For young and inexperienced writers joining the workforce in the 1990s and 2000s, such as myself, Nancy was not just a leader, but a teacher. We all looked up to her.
Since I had very little training in journalism, I pretty much learned everything I know about news reporting from Nancy, whether by watching her and reading her work, or directly from her mouth. Even though I and many other young writers worked for “the other team,” she always went out of her way to mentor us. It was in her heart to do so and I am forever grateful.
As a fellow news reporter, I sat next to Nancy at countless meetings, including my very first meeting. I remember being mesmerized by how she could use shorthand to file a flawless story by phone on deadline—like Superwoman—almost entirely from memory before the meeting was even over! Meanwhile, I was rushing home with my pile of notes—scouring every detail, misquoting people, lost in a sea of technicalities, and working for five hours to achieve what she had done in minutes, yet never approaching her level of quality. She made it look easy, but that’s what mastery looks like. And she never flaunted it. She simply shared her knowledge and expected nothing in return.
It was Nancy who, after noticing my excessive note-taking at a particularly long council meeting, told me a piece of advice that changed my life. She told me that I shouldn’t try to cover the entire meeting, but only the most important parts. That may sound overly simple at first, but it’s actually an art form that takes years to develop. Nancy knew what was “important” because she knew everything that was going on in Miami County and everyone involved! She also knew the backstories, the technical jargon, and exactly where to find more information. She was a dedicated reporter and trusted by readers and leaders, and certainly by her colleagues. She was the best.
I always knew that Nancy’s work would live on, almost indefinitely. She has covered every major event in our community for nearly half a century and probably wrote tens of thousands of articles that are now archived. Her accounts will be referenced for generations to come. She documented our lives, our progress, our crimes, our milestones. She recorded our history. And she did it with impeccable work ethic and a dedication to her career and community.
For those of us lucky enough to learn from her, Nancy’s guidance, patience, and example will remain a light in our own careers—and her work and lifelong dedication to journalism will continue to shine in Miami County for generations to come.
Thank you, Nancy.