Meet Christopher Braunschweig

The Newton Daily News would like to introduce its newest reporter, Christopher Braunschweig, to the editorial team.

Driven by a passion for community journalism, the 26-year-old will assume the mantle of city reporter, covering Newton City council and Jasper Counter Board of Supervisors, among other assignments.

All the while, Braunschweig will reacquaint himself with the familiar-yet-foreign town of Newton, a place he once recognized as home so many years ago.

Although he was raised in Altoona, Braunschweig comes to the Newton Daily News from Sioux City, where he live for about eight years. After graduating Briar Cliff University in 2014 with a bachelor of arts degree in mass communications, he carried out an internship at the Sioux City Journal working as a general assignments reporter before, eventually, accepting a full-time position at the paper.

For the past four years, Braunschweig worked as editor of The Weekender, a weekly entertainment and nightlife publication owned by the Journal. He regularly wrote feature stories about local musicians, nearby theater troupes, area artists, chefs and restaurateurs, businesses, amateur sports teams and bar owners, among other subjects.

This was his first taste of community journalism. During this time, Braunschweig developed relationships and close bonds with members of the community, devoting himself completely to his readers.

However, Braunschweig longed to return to hard news. A friend and former NDN reporter, Ty Rushing, recommended Braunschweig to look for jobs in Jasper County, having enjoyed his time in the area. Braunschweig made the move and is excited to start his new adventure as the city reporter.

“We’re thrilled to have Chris join our staff,” said Mike Mendenhall, NDN editor. “He brings with him years of experience as a reporter in Iowa, as well as a unique voice which adds flavor to his writing.”

Braunschweig said he is excited to return to his first home town, and dig into the stories affecting his readers.

“If you ever come across me sprinting down First Avenue to get to city council meetings on time, feel free to wave and make sure I’m headed in the right direction,” Braunschweig said. “Remember, I still don’t know my way around.”

If you have time to visit with him after deadline, don’t be afraid to ask me how to pronounce that last name of his. But beware — he doesn’t quite know how to pronounce it right, either.