The nugget., August 22, 2018, Page 16, Image 16

16
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
The people behind The Nugget… Cody
Cody Rheault has a lot of
arrows in his quiver as a free-
lance journalist. He’s a tal-
ented photographer and vid-
eographer, as well as being
able to paint a picture with
words.
“I classify myself as a
storyteller,” he says. He’ll
deploy “whatever tool does
that the best.”
That’s just what Nugget
Editor in Chief Jim Cornelius
looks for in a freelance
reporter.
“You can teach someone
research skills or how to con-
duct an effective interview,”
he said. “A sense of ‘story’
isn’t really something you
can teach. You have it or you
don’t. Cody has it.”
Rheault approached The
Nugget a year ago with an
interest in freelance newspa-
per work.
“I was doing a lot of com-
mercial work with film,” he
said. “I had more of an inter-
est in just telling stories,
meeting people; being part of
a community.”
Rheault, a 2010 graduate
of Redmond High School,
took to photography in 2006,
finding that it suited his quiet,
observer’s temperament and
personality. Like many artists
who move into journalism, it
took some doing to move out
of the comfort zone to engage
with subjects.
“It was terrifying inter-
viewing people,” Cody
recalled. “And even more
terrifying to realize that thou-
sands of people are going to
read what I write, so it’d bet-
ter be good.”
Rheault soon discovered
that most people are eager to
see their story told and make
themselves accessible. And
the trepidation around inter-
views fell away with the real-
ization that “it wasn’t about
me. It was about them and
I was just the guy capturing
it.”
Rheault has covered a
wide range of interesting sub-
jects and stories in his tenure
at The Nugget, but one story
in particular is his favorite:
“Miracle horse took to the
arena at Sisters Rodeo,” in
the June 20, 2018 edition.
Kerri Raymond, of
La Pine, saved the horse
named Minnow and turned
her life around to the point
where she was able to enter
the Sisters Rodeo arena bear-
ing Queen Hailey Konze to
carry the American flag.
“That’s the stuff I like
to write,” Rheault said. “It
made a difference for her.
Most of all, it was a story that
deserved to be told.”
In addition to a range
of skills, Rheault brings
to his storytelling a broad
perspective, inculcated by
a childhood on the move.
His father’s career required
frequent changes of locale,
which took Cody across the
U.S.
Rheault
I had more of an interest
in just telling stories,
meeting people; being
part of a community.
— Cody Rheault
“I think I lived in seven
homes before 14,” he said.
In addition to a peripa-
tetic childhood, Rheault has
traveled extensively to docu-
ment the work of Open Bible
Churches, work that started
in 2016. He’s traveled to a
dozen countries on six conti-
nents, and he’ll be traveling
to Cambodia in just a couple
of weeks.
Travel, as it is wont to do,
has given him a broad cul-
tural perspective, which he
PHOTO PROVIDED
Cody Rheault is a photographer, videographer and writer.
brings as a subtext into his
storytelling — whether on
film or on the page.
Rheault has found a call-
ing in his role as a storyteller,
both with The Nugget and
in other freelance work. It’s
work he takes very seriously.
“I’m not just putting down
some bullet points on paper,”
he reflected. “I’m putting
down somebody’s life.”
THANK YOU to all our readers who have let us know
how much they enjoy reading The Nugget.
We are honored by your appreciation and support!
The Nugget
You, too, can help The Nugget continue its journalistic mission...
Readers like you can join our loyal
advertisers in bringing The Nugget
to Sisters — for free — every week!
Thank you for supporting us!
Make a fi nancial contribution
to keep professional community
journalism thriving in Sisters...
܂ $50/year Supporting Subscription
܂ $100/year Sustaining Subscription
܂ $________ Other Contribution
Three easy ways to support community journalism:
• Complete the form below and mail today
• Call 541-549-9941 and pay by credit card
• Go to NuggetNews.com to contribute online
Name __________________________________________________________________
Address _________________ City ______________ State ____ Zip _________
Visit NuggetNews.com, stop by the offi ce at
442 E. Main Ave. (Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri), call
us at 541-549-9941, or drop a check in the mail.
Phone ______________ Email ___________________________________________
܂ Check enclosed ܂ Please charge my credit card
Visa/MasterCard __________________________ Exp. __ /__ Security Code ___
Mail to: The Nugget, PO Box 698, Sisters, OR 97759
PHOTO BY GARY MILLER