Reporter covers Salina community

by Abby LaFever

Charles Rankin, ‘18, is currently the news reporter for the Salina Journal, part of the USA Today Network.

Rankin took six months to figure out where he wanted to be and what he wanted to do after graduation, but he quickly found his passion for reporting. Interview after interview, Rankin kept reaching for his dream job.

In the summer of 2019, Rankin encountered an editor working for the USA Today Network who was looking for someone just like him. Moving from Topeka to Salina, Rankin was ready to take this local newspaper and his career to the next level.

Rankin shares how much his professors at Washburn aided in getting him this job.

“Actually, I think it was Regina Cassell who gave my name to someone in Topeka who knew people out here in Salina,” Rankin said.

Rankin said his time at Washburn helped get him to where is he is today.

“Being at Washburn, I was working with Student Media or working in a practicum, working with other people, which would be about four to eight people in the same room,” Rankin said. “But in the real world, when it comes to journalism, it has a lot less people when you are in a smaller community there are less people.”

By taking what he learned during his time at Student Media and his experience since graduation, Rankin has been able to perfect what he likes the most about being a journalist.

“I think just being able to tell those stories that people would not necessarily know about has been one of my favorite things I have done,” Rankin said.

When it comes to bigger stories that he has been able to cover, the one that Rankin talks about is the one where he covered the Bob Dole Funeral service

Rankin said that he enjoys covering local news but covering big stories like the funeral has been one of his biggest accomplishments throughout his career.

On a daily basis, Rankin plans out stories, interviews people, or covers an event before writing his story. Once he gets done with that, he will submit a draft to his editor. Then he waits for feedback and makes any final touches to get it ready for publishing.

Kendrick Calfee is a coworker of Rankin’s and is the education reporter for the Salina Journal, as well.

“Charlie is a thoughtful reporter with an eye for things that the community cares about,” Calfee said. “He is driven and visibly passionate about the work he does in community journalism.”

Calfee and Rankin are the only two reporters in Salina who are part of the USA Today network.

“Charlie is a great communicator and meets deadlines, which is important in this industry,” Calfee said. “He has been here longer than me, so I often go to him with questions about local people and ways of life. He is insightful and always willing to lend a helping hand.”

When Rankin is not writing stories for the Salina Journal, he is also part of the board for Student Media.

“Maria Stover asked me to be part of it,” Rankin said. “A lot of it was, ‘hey we need a community member who is in the field’ and since I graduated from Washburn and I am working in Kansas, that makes sense.”

Most of what Rankin does for Student Media is to attend the board meetings, check and approve the budget, and make sure things are going well.

Rankin said he enjoys being a part of Student Media because he can help students on the same path as he was as they get ready to start their careers.