© the other press Features November 12, 2003 Roosting Call “The best place to make money is in PR, and working for a public education institute is probably the least unsavoury of any of the PR jobs you could ever have,” Dan Hilborn, Reporter and Assistant Editor, Burnaby Now Barbara K. Adamski Features Editor One thing is apparent about Dan Hilborn, reporter and assistant editor of the Burnaby Now: he loves what he does and who he does it for. Hilborn was originally employed by the Royal City Record (now, The Record) in New Westminster in the late 1980s. When the paper was purchased by the Now con- glomerate twelve years ago, Hilborn was asked if he'd like to stay on. He did, and to this day does not regret his decision. “It’s a little hairy at times,” he says of his job at the Now. “Sometimes you shake your head. But there’s a lot going on. We've got all the resources we need here. This is incredible.” A year ago, the Now moved into their current office space (which they share with sister publication, The Record). It’s sleek, clean, and smoke-free—unlike newspaper offices of yore. The atmosphere is highly professional, — mature even—until closer inspection. An 18-inch plastic rat sporting official Mickey Mouse ears looks out from a shelf behind Hilborn’s workstation—a gift from the production staff. When Hilborn squeezes its foot, the rat squeals. A model train links two desks, each with a miniature village and tiny trees. It doesn’t take much to get a demonstration of the train in operation. Even editor Pat Tracy is in on the fun. Her office houses a rubber chicken, which appears for a “roosting call” daily at 3:30 p-m. At that time, it is squeezed until it squawks, prompting a return squawk from several other chickens strategically placed throughout the work area—another touch of humour in an already animated work- place. It’s no wonder Hilborn finds the Now a great place to work. Being reporter and assistant editor at the Now enables Hilborn to do what he loves to do most—write. “I’ve been writing and hanging around newspapers ever since ele- mentary school,” he says. A reporter at aa Page 20 ¢ http://www.otherpress.ca heart, his first appointment was to a grass- roots kids’ newspaper when he was in the fifth grade. “We wrote about stuff in the neighbourhood,” Hilborn says. “And when our cat got stuck in a tree for three days, we had our front page story.” Following his early start, Hilborn contin- ued working on school publications while in junior and senior high school. After “We wrote about stuff in the neighbourhood. And when our graduation, he enrolled in the university transfer program at Douglas College. “I went to Douglas as a student, found the paper on the side, and probably dropped all my courses,” he explains. After five semesters at Douglas College’s The Other Press (including one as editor), Hilborn worked for the Public Information Office of the college as contract writer from 1984-87, writing press releases, feature articles, and brochures. “The best place to make money is in PR, and working for a public education institute is probably the least unsavoury of any of the PR jobs you could ever have,” he says with a laugh; then adds, “It’s not my calling.” He acknowledges the money would be better if he moved to a daily newspaper and did nothing but edit, or if he were to do more public relations writing. But report- ing—and the interaction and learning that r y cat got stuck in a tree for three days, we had our front page story, ” Hilborn, Reporter and Assistant Editor, Burnaby Now it allows—is what he loves. And of course, “there are adrenalin rushes and ego strokes of seeing your name in print 60,000 times, twice a week,” he adds cheerfully. “I want to be a reporter,” he says. “There’s no big incentive for me to go to The Vancouver Sun. To get a really big jump in pay, I'd have to be a fantastically successful freelancer, which one out of every thousand free- lancers is, or go into edit- ing. I’m not prepared to go into full-time editing. I could make a lot more money if I did that, but I wouldn't be as happy.” Of course, every job has its drawbacks, and Hilborn’s is no dif- ferent. He hates when deadlines are changed; there’s a noticeable drop in tone as he discusses the issue. When asked who changes those dead- lines he replies, “Not me. Everybody else.” He says this sternly at first; Dan then bursts into his con- tagious cartoon-character laugh, clarifying, “It’s not my job. Ultimately the editor and the ad manager do.” He does admit to having his bad days, though, and demonstrates how he deals with them. He grabs the red Shriner's fez from his desktop and places it on the top shelf. “It’s sort of an early warning system,” he explains with a grin. Asked why he loves his job so much, Hilborn says, “I don’t know why. That’s for somebody else to figure out, isn’t it? I just enjoy it. I like what I do.” As for where he sees himself in the future, Hilborn quickly replies, “Chained to my desk, still work- ing, hopefully. I’m not in any hurry to go anywhere.” No doubt the rubber chickens have something to do with that.