A tornado had just struck a local trailer park and killed 11 people.
Martin couldn’t see her audience, but she knew their spirits were broken. Speaking into the living rooms of Red Deer, she was more than a news anchor; she was a comforting voice for people who needed answers.
“We stayed on the air for a long time, being there for the people of the community. They just needed to hear something from someone,” said Martin, who now anchors CBC Compass in Charlottetown.
“We were feeding them as much (information) as we could. We were the voice of reason for people at home. I went home and cried my heart out.”
While speaking to Holland College journalism students on Jan. 15, Martin stressed local news is important because it directly impacts people’s lives.
“We cover road closures and weather. Those stories matter and it affects your everyday life. That is news to me.”
Some stories are emotional to cover, said Martin, but that helps her connect with viewers and interview subjects alike.
When Anders Breivik murdered dozens of people in Norway in 2011, Martin spoke to one of the victims as he was being prepped for surgery.
“He was crying. I let him cry. You need to see I’m a human and not a robot.”
Martin’s husband, Ken Linton, said that trait made her a good choice to host P.E.I.’s supper-hour news program.
“Louise is a good fit for Compass. She shows emotion. She’s not a robot reading the news.”
The couple didn’t know what to expect when they moved to the Island, but Linton said it’s been a positive experience.
“People warned us about what it would be like. They said Louise would be recognized a lot. The people are very nice and respectful.”
Dave Stewart has been a reporter with The Guardian since 1995. In a career that’s seen it all, he said the heartwarming stories stand out.
“It’s the good people you meet that turn into good stories that really, really stick with you.”
In the summer of 2016, Stewart got an email from a man named Francis Menard, who was trying to find his birth mother on P.E.I. and had exhausted other options.
Stewart wrote the story and was stunned to see what happened next.
“Within hours of that story going up online, his birth mother reaches out to him. That just doesn’t happen in this business, not that quick.”
But the story didn’t end there. Stewart interviewed the mother and Menard also met his birth father. The couple was divorced.
“Some day you’re sitting down in a rocking chair and you think back on the stories you did that might have made a difference. Covering the legislature, press conferences, city council, that’s not the rewarding aspect of the job.
“Knowing you brought a family together – that feeling you get, the tingles down your spine, that warm sensation – those are the stories I remember the most.”
The newspaper industry can be tough to work in, but stories like Menard’s are rewarding, Stewart said.
“When you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life in a good way, it makes all those bad phone calls you receive over the years worth it.”
Martin told the students the media can play a role in bringing people together.
“Be kind to one another, respect one another and help one another. The world can be a nasty place sometimes.”
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