Serving Barnwell County and its neighbors since 1852
There’s a new face covering the people, places and stories of Barnwell County.
Charlie Irwin has joined The People-Sentinel as its newest reporter, bringing with him three years of newspaper experience, a passion for sports and auto racing, and a desire to become part of the community he now calls home.
Irwin comes to Barnwell County from Dubuque, Iowa, a city of approximately 60,000 to 70,000 people along the Mississippi River. He graduated in May from Loras College, where he majored in creative writing with a focus on journalism and minored in rhetoric and public writing.
Before making the move south, Irwin spent three years working in the sports department at the Telegraph Herald, Dubuque’s local newspaper. There, he covered nearly every major high school sport along with college football, basketball and soccer.
He also found opportunities to combine journalism with one of his biggest interests — auto racing. Irwin covered local dirt track racing in Dubuque for two years and reported on special racing events.
His path to journalism, however, wasn’t always clear.
Irwin entered college as a sports management major before realizing it wasn’t the right fit. At the same time, the writing classes he was taking began pointing him in another direction.
“My interest in journalism really started in college,” Irwin said. “I was in the Sports Management major and it just wasn't cutting it for me. But I took many writing classes on the side which made me very interested in sports media.”
He also credits his aunt, who held a radio executive position with the St. Louis Cardinals, with inspiring him to pursue a career in sports media.
That interest eventually grew beyond sports and into journalism as a whole.
“Personally, being a journalist means getting the correct information, telling the facts and producing work my family and friends can be proud of,” Irwin said.
He believes preparation is one of the most important qualities a reporter can bring to an assignment.
“I believe what makes a good reporter is the amount of research or investigation they do to ask the right questions and conjure up a well-written story,” he said.
Trading Iowa winters for the South
When the opportunity arose to join The People-Sentinel, Irwin decided it was time for a change — both professionally and geographically.
“I'd be lying if I said I didn't come to the South for more auto racing or to escape the Iowa winters,” he joked. “I moved here and took this job because I believed it was the right decision for me and my path in news media.”
So far, South Carolina seems to be treating him well.
“My experience so far in Barnwell County has been great,” Irwin said. “The people are fantastic and the history is abundant.”
He has already started sampling some of what the community has to offer, including meals at Red Hill Grill and Yanni’s. Before his mother returned home after helping him settle in, the two also played a round of golf at Barnwell’s Sweetwater Country Club.
“The course was beautiful,” he said.
Golf is one of several interests Irwin hopes will help him connect with people throughout the community. He has already received invitations to attend local golf gatherings.
“I've already received invitations from multiple people, which is awesome,” he said.
He is also looking for a local church. Irwin was raised Christian and attended Catholic schools throughout his education.
When he isn't working, Irwin enjoys dining out, golfing, playing sports video games, attending sporting events and watching movies.
And he isn't just a sports fan.
Irwin competed in track while attending college, including three trips to the prestigious Drake Relays. He never finished outside the top six while competing on a relay team at the event.
Learning the community
As Irwin settles into his new position, one of his priorities will be getting to know Barnwell County — not just as a reporter, but as a resident.
“I'm looking forward to learning more about the history to connect more deeply with the area,” he said. “I'm also looking forward to learning about different spots to visit when I have time to myself.”
That desire to learn about the community fits with Irwin's view of what a community newspaper should be.
“The role of a community newspaper is to stay loyal to the community it covers,” he said. “It's imperative that a community newspaper stick to its roots instead of giving its coverage rights to big news outlets.”
Irwin said local journalism is especially important at a time when locally-owned newspapers across the country face increasing challenges.
“I believe local journalism matters because of its significance to the community,” he said. “Big news is becoming an ever-growing giant and it's swallowing up the small, privately owned papers all over the country, which eliminates local prosperity from news reporting.”
During his first year at The People-Sentinel, Irwin hopes to spend significant time in the community, covering events and meeting the people who make Barnwell County what it is. He also wants to produce stories that are meaningful to readers while continuing to grow as a journalist.
“I hope my reporting can contribute to the growth of local journalism in The People-Sentinel's coverage area and the growth of the company as well,” he said.
Most importantly, Irwin wants readers to know that he is ready to become part of the community — and tell its stories.
“To the readers of The People-Sentinel, thank you for welcoming me to Barnwell County as your new reporter,” Irwin said. “I hope I can do this county proud with great coverage of all Barnwell events. I hope to be a vital member of the community and grow the audience for different niches of news media.”
Have a news tip, story idea or upcoming event you think Charlie should know about? Reach out to him at reporter@thepeoplesentinel.com.
