Joseph Kieta is editor of the Modesto Bee. Before moderating a panel on the state of the arts in Modesto, he talked about why he loves the city’s people, his ideal Sunday morning, and why thinking about the future of local news keeps him up at night.
What’s your fondest childhood memory?
I have a lot. We used to take trips every summer up to Niagara Falls. I grew up in suburban Cleveland. I’ve got a lot of fond memories of that, spending time with my parents and my brother. And I have a lot from high school, too, a lot of good memories, a lot of good things that we did.
What’s your favorite thing about Modesto?
I like Modesto’s people. The people here are very honest, they’re genuine, they’re down to earth. It’s not a stuffy community. It’s a place where I feel comfortable. It’s a place where I don’t feel I have to wear certain clothes to go out to dinner. It’s a place I find comfortable to live. And I love the diversity here. The community has a very diverse population, and I think it adds a lot to the community and culture. I’m a big fan of it. The community has a lot of challenges, there’s no doubt about that, but the strength of the community is in the people.
What’s your ideal Sunday morning?
I like to wake up before anyone else in the family, get up, and cook breakfast. I like to make an eggs benedict or something a little bit more fancy, read the paper, and then hopefully everyone is up at that point, and we have a good breakfast or conversation.
What are you keeping in your garage that you should have thrown out already?
Probably some old Christmas decorations.
What keeps you up at night?
Thinking about the future of the work that I do and the news business. I think a lot about how can we sustain local news. And what can I be doing as an editor to reach the community here better. Our printed newspaper is strong, but we have to go beyond that. … I’m worried about local news. I’m worried that people don’t care as much about it as they ought to, because it’s definitely not as sexy sometimes as what’s happening half a country away or in Washington or at a national level. But what’s happening here affects people’s lives more prominently than what’s happening at the national level. I want to see an interest in local news, and I want to find a way to make it accessible to a wide group of people. I don’t want to see the demise of a mass medium. Most nights I sleep well, but if there’s anything I’m thinking about it’s that.
What’s the last thing that made you laugh?
I always find laughter in some of the stories you hear about in the newsroom—different things that happen in town that kind of make me chuckle. A story today got a ton of interest: A peacock showed up at the transportation center in downtown Modesto, garnering all sorts of traffic online. My son always makes me crack up. He’s only 7 years old, but its always fun watching him, and some of the things he’ll do.
What’s the last habit you tried to kick?
The one I’m trying to kick right now is, I have a caffeine addiction. I have a ritual where I’ll go to Starbucks every morning. It’s an expensive habit.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Unreasonable people.
If you could take only one more journey, where would you go?
I really want to go to two places. I’m half-Italian, half-Polish, so I want to go to Rome, and I want to see Italy and take in the art and culture. And I’d also like to go to where my wife’s family is from in Mexico. I want to know more about where her family came from.
What’s the last great book you read?
I just read The Godfather. I’m a huge fan of the movie, and the book just filled in a ton of blanks for me.