Dear readers of The Dickinson Press, my name is Dorvall Bedford, and I am the newest reporter here in Dickinson.
Before making the long trek from Maryland to North Dakota, I studied journalism at the University of Maryland and spent three years working as a freelance reporter in Washington. There I primarily wrote about arts and entertainment, covering local up-and-coming musicians, painters, photographers and the opening of new venues.
My deep passion for community journalism came about in 2021 when I wrote my first article for my college newspaper, The Diamondback. The story was about how college bands were handling the pandemic and quarantine at the time, discussing how some musicians tried performing virtually, some were waiting for the quarantine to end and others were unsure how the music scene would look going forward.
Another important story to me is the one I covered for Washington City Paper in 2024 about a musician named Cat Janice who was dying from cancer. Writing that article involved me talking not only to Janice but also other people from the music scene who knew her and were affected by condition. It was then that I learned that a journalist’s duty isn’t just to inform—it’s to express the feelings of a community, whether that’s celebrating a success or grieving a loss.
It was those experiences that set me on the path of immersing myself in the music and arts community. I always try to find the stories other reporters aren’t covering because I believe that the people and events least talked about can oftentimes be the most important to a community. My hope is to bring the same type of reporting here to Dickinson and continue to write about the artists, musicians and dreamers I meet.
As a reporter, I don’t believe that I’m giving a voice to the voiceless. I know the people I report on have unique voices and are active in their community. Rather, I see myself as a tool for the people I serve, allowing people to speak to each other through my writing and inform others around them. I plan to ask the hard questions, find the untold stories and do my best to let your voices forever ring in The Dickinson Press.
So if you’re an aspiring musician, artist, performer or just a concerned reader who wants me to report on something, feel free to reach out to me.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.thedickinsonpress.com ’
