When the staff writer position came open for the Marshall County Tribune, the paper’s management didn’t have to search too far to fill the opening.
Will Carter has been named the staff writer of the Tribune and will be coordinating production for the newspaper.
“I'm really excited to be taking on this new role with the Tribune. After covering the tractor pull in Chapel Hill last summer and various sports across the county in the last couple, I've learned a lot about the community and the people that come with it,” Carter said.
A 2022 graduate of MTSU, Carter graduated with a degree in journalism, with a focus on sports media.
Prior to MTSU, he attended Cascade High School.
“I grew up in Wartrace and spent all 13 years of school at Cascade High School where I graduated in 2018. Throughout high school I played football, basketball, golf, and track and field while being involved with various clubs like Interact Club and HOSA.”
“After that, I went to Middle Tennessee State University where I graduated with a degree in Journalism in 2022. At MTSU I worked with the student newspaper as the Sports Editor in my final year and covered the MTSU baseball team for two seasons. I am also a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and served as the Risk Management Chairman and President while active within the fraternity.”
Having grown up in a small town, the ability to work and cover news within a small, tight-knit community resonated with Carter.
Prior to becoming the staff writer for the Tribune, he worked covering sports for the Times-Gazette, while filling in sporadically covering sports within Marshall County.
“Growing up in Bedford County, everything you needed to know about the community was in the Times-Gazette, and I always loved picking up a copy to see what was going on around town. Local newspapers hold a lot of weight within communities like Marshall County, so it's important to provide news in the best way possible. I look forward to being able to do that for the Tribune,” he said.
In becoming a staff writer for the Tribune, Carter will be out in the community and covering everything from sports to local news beats.
“In a broad sense, I will be the main news writer for the Tribune. I'm going to be covering anything newsworthy in the county and bringing that news to the people. More specifically, I will be handling most of the production of the news side of the Tribune and going out and covering meetings, events, and anything else going on around town,” he said.
Having worked with the Times-Gazette helped set Carter onto his journalism path and gave him plenty of experience over the past few years.
“It's very humbling for me because I graduated college just over a year ago, and this industry isn't an easy one to find a job in once you graduate. I was lucky enough to land a part-time gig with the Times-Gazette after graduation, and the past year there set me up to move into a full-time position now,” Carter said.
“It means a lot to me personally to be working so close to my hometown because I owe a lot to Bedford County for molding me into the man that I am and will be. It still hasn't completely hit me that I'm working full-time in the industry that I want, but I'm sure it will soon.”
“I am very excited to have Will joining us full-time and know he will be a key component in the growth of the Marshall County Tribune. Will has been a huge asset in the sports department for the Marshall County Tribune and Shelbyville Times-Gazette and with integrating that experience I look forward to watching his continued accomplishments,” Tribune general manager Diandra Womble said.
When not buzzing about the town chasing the latest story, Carter spends his spare time on the go, being active within sports and hanging out with his friends.
“Recently I've been playing a lot of golf with my buddies. I played for two years in high school, but I had to stop playing since it's the same season as football. Now that I'm older and have more time to play, I've really gotten deep into it. I also play video games whenever I get some time. Most of my friends don't live close by, so we try to carve out some time for video games to stay connected and have that feeling of being together,” he said.
When it comes to watching sports for fun, Carter is a big fan of SEC sports, specifically, Auburn.
“Other than that, I'm an avid Auburn Tigers fan, and I keep up with them religiously. My dad and I travel to Auburn a few times a year to watch games, whether it's football, basketball, or any other sports that are in season. Sports in general are probably my biggest hobby — from playing to watching,” he said.
While still a newcomer to the industry, Carter’s passion relies with community journalism and providing coverage throughout the various corners of Marshall County.
And within that passion, he has a vision for the quality of coverage he wants to deliver.
“The main thing I want to accomplish is bringing quality news coverage to this community. Like I said before, local newspapers are very important to communities like this one, so I take great pride in being the one that provides that coverage. In just a couple days, I've heard and learned about the many things that go on here all the time, so I'm excited to put my boots on the ground and find stories to tell. If I can provide quality news to the people, then it'll be a job well done in my opinion,” he said.
