Ethan Stoetzer

     Ethan Stoetzer has joined Mid-America Publishing as its new Community News Editor in Hampton.

     Stoetzer, 22, of Mason City, is originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a graduate of Rowan University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a concentration in creative writing.

     “While in college, I was very involved with the school newspaper, serving as the features editor and Editor-in-Chief in my junior and senior years, respectively,” He added. “In that time I’ve won two first place New Jersey Collegeiate Press awards for column and editorial writing, as well as University honorable mentions for my poetry submissions.”

     Prior to joining Mid-America he was working at the Mitchell County Press News in Osage. Stoetzer had also worked at The Retrospect newspaper in 2015, Rowan University Public Relations  from 2013-2016, and several freelancing position with South Jersey papers and magazines.

     “I think Ethan is a great fit for Hampton,” said Publisher Ryan Harvey. “As I’ve looked for our replacement, I wanted someone who was diligent in his work, trustworthy, and someone who had a bit of a take-charge attitude in the newsroom. I think Ethan is that guy. I think he’s someone who will fit in well here and has an opportunity to build upon his sterling resume.”

     “Ethan was very diligent in his research on Mid-America and on how this position operates within the company,” Harvey said. “In all of my years with the company, no one has been this thorough. I fully expect he’ll take a similar tact in his journalistic principles.”

     Stoetzer says his goal is to be an information-based journalist.

     “I also like to explain things. I am a big advocate of explaining things to people. Not in a snarky, know-it-all manner, but I just like explaining things to people,” he added. “With most of my news stories, I assume no one knows anything, and just put every detail necessary in a story. It’s a process for me.”

     He said he recently heard a quote that sums up journalism, that goes something like, “’My job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable,’ and that’s something that has been stuck in my head as a journalist. As a story writer, I need to comfort those in hard times while also exposing those in good times, to bad, to keep balance,” he said.

     Stoetzer said got into journalism after starting my college career is a political science major.

“I got into the punk-rock scene as a late teenager and sort of rode that angst into college as a Political Science major,” he said.  “I wanted to change things about our government, but the lofty dream of change promised in the songs is a lot harder when you get down to brass tacks, and I thought that I wasn’t going to be equipped for something that is so much bigger than my own comprehension. “

Stoetzer said he liked writing and decided to take it up creatively, but parental influences warned him of needing a steady disposable income. He prefers feature writing the most, as it allows him to incorporate his talents into something that sticks with people; though political journalism is still something that he aspires to be a part of.

     In addition to working, Stoetzer likes to exercise in the gym.

     “I almost became a personal trainer in the process of picking careers,” he added. “Muscle anatomy is my thing part-time. I also like playing the guitar; when I have time. I used to be pretty good but life’s kinda pushed guitar to the back burner. “

     As for his long-term goals.

     “I aspire to one day write a novel. In college, I did a lot of creative writing. but it’s slowed down post-college. I’ve written four drafts of a novel, getting to about 35 pages, but then throwing it away because I didn’t like it,” he noted. “I have very high standards for my work, and even though they may meet someone else’s, if I am not happy with it I refuse to turn it in. “

     Away from the office, he also spends a lot of time with my girlfriend Caitlin Ware. She lives in Panora. They both graduated college together as journalism majors, and found jobs in Iowa and are continuing their lives together on weekends and holidays, with their two cats.

     Stoetzer is originally from the suburbs of New Jersey. He was 30 minutes outside of Philadelphia and 20 minutes outside of Camden.

     “I saw all my concerts in these two cities,” he noted. “The main difference between Iowa and New Jersey is subtle, at first, and I really only noticed it within the last month – I’ve been here for three – in that driving time is way different.

     In New Jersey, things are measured in minutes. In Iowa, things are measured in miles. Getting in the car and driving a half hour in New Jersey, is not the same as driving 30 miles in Iowa.”

     Stoetzer described South Jerseyhas habitted by people residents from Delware and Pennsylvania.

     “We had a lot of farmland there, but not nearly as much as Iowa. We had cornfields, but they weren’t that large. I don’t know why we’re called the Garden State, except for tomato production, we don’t even grow that much.”

     But the weather is different in New Jersey.

     “Things change drastically here,” he added. “In 30 minutes you could have a six-degree temperature change, while in New Jersey, if it rains, you’re down for the entire day.

     In New Jersey, there’s pizza shops everywhere, like, every corner. In Iowa, there’s Casey’s (I still have not tasted pizza since I’ve come to Iowa – it’s probably for the best). I guess there’s no traffic in Iowa, but that’s different because in Iowa, if you get stuck behind someone going 55 mph, it’s basically like being in traffic in New Jersey.”