Editor of the Longreach Leader, Noni Rutherford recently engaged the services of a new staff member, a talented teddy bear trained as an ace reporter, perfect for the job.
The Leader is a great regional newspaper that provides a fantastic service to the Longreach, Winton, Barcaldine, Blackall-Tambo, Diamantina and Barcoo Shires, reporting on local and regional events, news and activities. Hailed as the Independent Voice of Central West Queensland the Leader has been reporting across the west since 1923.
As a journalist, the bear has a number of advantages, he doesn’t need any wages, doesn’t take holidays, will work weekends and is pretty cheap to feed, just needs honey!
Bear will be travelling around the Outback region gathering stories but he needed a name, so the Leader put the call out for suggestions of a suitable moniker for their mascot.
There were many ideas and some really great names proposed; Cub the Reporter, Ed the Editor (Noni wasn’t giving up that title!), Boris Bear, Baxter Bear, Thomson Bear, Starlight Bear, Outback Bear, Fearless Leader, Ron Beargundy…….and many more.
We helped out and sent the call out in our newsletter and over Facebook forwarding all the suggestions onto the team at Longreach. Proposals were wide ranging and creative; Eagle Eye (the newspaper is located in Magpies Lane), Journo Jerry, Lincoln of Longreach., TOM (Teddy On a Mission), Clark Kent- mild mannered reporter, Precious, Smuggly, Surviour Teddy, Ted the Tipper, Thompson after Longreach’s River, to name just a few.
We were quite fond of the following:
Tambo Ted is the only name this little guy needs end of story we all just love them , ?
After four agonising weeks where the teddy bear was just referred to as BEAR, the Leader finally made the decision and announced he’s called ‘BRIAN’ !!!!
Ignoring all the suggestions the team from Longreach proclaimed their newest recruit to be Brian the Bear, honouring former long-time editor, Brian Reynolds, apparently a rather hairy, cuddly character.
Readers across the Central West will be able to follow Bear and his adventures in his weekly column, ‘ A Day in the Life of Brian’ as he travels the Outback reporting news, views and the weather (can’t have a story without the weather!).