Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur had a relatively straightforward assignment when a Trump rally came to town. She was to interview local rallygoers, with the people who sold lemonade and parked cars. That changed in a flash when gunshots flew last week. The Eagle, struggling like so many local newspapers across the country, found itself thrust in the middle of a huge national story, with all its attendant tensions. Locals can be outgunned when the national journalists come to town, but they also have advantages they can press. Despite the trauma of the past week, 25-year-old Bucur learned something about herself: She thinks she's cut out for journalism.
