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Meet Baylee DeMuth
Hi! It's nice to meet you. As fairly fresh eyes to the Erie region, I write the weekly Erie-ish storiespublished in our Sunday Plus edition. Every one I write helpsme learn more about the people and places that make up my new home.
I've probably given a version of this introductiona fewdozen timessince moving to Erie last summer, so I think I've got it down.
I was born in Chongqing, China and raisedin Findlay, Ohioby my adoptive parents, Dennis and Laura DeMuth. Findlayisn'tthe most well-known city, but if I say it's nearToledo, Ohioor that it's the hometown of recently retiredPittsburgh Steelers quarterbackBen Roethlisberger, it usually rings some bells.
I attended Ohio University (Go Bobcats!) in Athens, Ohio, where I earned my bachelor's degree in journalism with a minor in English. I was heavily involved with the student publication The Post, where I served as the managing editor my senior year. Concurrently, I was alsoeditor-in-chief of Southeast Ohio Magazine and president ofCircle K International, a volunteering student organization affiliated with Kiwanis International.
In the summer of 2019 I interned with Ohio Magazine in Cleveland, completely unaware that I'd be just over the Ohio-Pennsylvania state line exactlytwoyears later in my first job post-grad.
Why I became a journalist
I've always loved words. Reading them, and eventually, writing them. In middle school, I joined the Power of the Pen club and completely lost myself in crafting my own stories.
I'll always remember when I wrote about theexperience of an older sister giving her baby brother a bath. In the comments, the judges wrote how they could really tell I pulled from my own life experiences of having a little brother.
But I don't have a brother. I have a sister, Brianna, and I definitely never gave her any baths.
It showed me just how powerful words are. I'd be lying if I said wanting to be an author didn't cross my mind, but I realized some of the most interesting stories were already out there, and I wanted to be the one to tell them.
What I like best about my job
I like that I get to be professionally nosey.
Sure, it's my job to ask questions, but a lot of the times, the questions stem from my owncuriosity. I love learning about as much as I can, and as a journalist, I have the opportunity to do so.
A story I worked on that has had a lasting impact on me
Probably not every journalist'sanswer, but it was the first one I wrote.
It was about lifeguard shortages in Erie County. The story itself sounds simple enough, but for me, it represented the beginning of a whole new chapter of my life (as cheesy as it sounds).
When I decided to join the Erie Times-News, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision. On paper, I did exactly what I wanted: go to college, study in my field of choice, get a job in said field of choice.
I was extremely lucky to secure a job after graduating, especially in the middle of a pandemic,but it opened up a world of uncertainties I wasn't sure I was ready for.
Lifeguard Shortage:Some Erie-area pools struggle to find lifeguards
Like really being by myselffor the first time. I like my own space as much as the next person, but it was weird not coming home to family orroommates, or texting a friend to see if they wanted to meet up after work.
But when I saw my first story on the front page of the Erie Times-News, all the doubts I had disappeared. I wanted to be a professional journalist, and that story wasproof that I was! So now, on the off-days, I look at that first story (which I have proudly hung on my wall) and rememberhow hard I've worked to get here.
What is the biggest challenge I face?
Finding enough time.
I am a planner by every meaning of the word. I've never been a "go with the flow" kind of person, which is why I value planning out my time wisely, both personally and professionally.
Most of the timeIcan plan out everything perfectly andthere will stillbe something that doesn't work out. At that point, I only have so much time to get myself back on track to make my deadline.
What I like to do when I’m not working
A perk of moving somewhere entirely new is that I get to explore.I love trying out anew restaurantor hiking at a park I haven't been to. I attend every festival, farmers market and craft show I can find. I've also becomequite the microbrewery enthusiast, andvisiting the manylocal breweries inErie has become one of my favorite things to do.
On the less adventurousdays, I enjoy doing simple stuff, likefinding time to go to the gym, reading a good book (book recommendations are welcome!) and learning how to cook anything and everythingin my air fryer. I'm also a recent cat owner, so I love spending time with my cat, Zeniba, while also torturing her with the latest cat trend on TikTok.
Favorite event or Erie-area tradition
I don't think I'vebeen in Erie long enough to really call anything a "tradition" but I love visiting Presque Isle State Park. I've never lived so close to Lake Erie before and now it's practically in my backyard.
This summer I intend to take a lot more beach days and learn how to roller skate. The latter is sure to bringmany scrapes and bruises, but for the sake of trying something new, count me in.
Why journalism matters
Journalism matters because people matter, and that includes even those who make up the smallest communities.
Readers want to know what's going on in their local schools, their local governments and their local communities. What's immediately affecting them? That's not to say national and world news isn't important, but that journalism at every level matters.
People at every level matter. How are the small business owners doing? What type of agricultural year are local farmers having? Their stories are importantto the communities they serve, and I'm proud to be one of the many talented journalists at the Erie Times-News who gets to share them.
More from Baylee:Reporter profile, links to stories
Baylee DeMuth can be reached at 814-450-3425or bdemuth@timesnews.com. Follow her on Twitter @BayleeDeMuth.
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Meet more of the Erie Times-News staff
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►Mike Copper
►Jennie Geisler
►Ed Palattella
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