Newark Advocate reporter Kent Mallett marks 35 years at paper

The year was 1988.

Ronald Reagan was president of the United States, a dozen eggs cost 65 cents and a postage stamp was 24 cents. The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Oakland Athletics in the World Series, and Kent Mallett — a Ball State University journalism graduate with just a couple short newspaper stints under his belt — had recently secured his first job at The Newark Advocate.

It was the beginning of a 35-year ride full of adventure and growth, and though Mallett's intent had originally been to remain in Newark for a few years and then move on, more than three decades later, he remains a staple at the paper.

"It's not just a job for him. He really believes in the whole institution of the media, the watchdog of society," said Linda Mallett, his wife of 42 years. "I think he has a real need to be as accurate as possible and as respectful as possible."

At the Newark City Council meeting on Monday, the reporter was surprised with a proclamation by Mayor Jeff Hall declaring June 1 — the anniversary of his first day on the job — as "Kent Mallett Day" in Newark.

Mallett began working as a reporter in The Advocate's sports department, where he spent a decade covering local sports. In that role, he earned the nickname of Kent "The Hammer" Mallett, according to Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb, who at the time had been involved in broadcasting high school sports games.

After many years’ worth of late nights, juggling the scheduling challenges of sports reporting with the demands of fatherhood and family life, Mallett decided to switch to The Advocate's news side. In that role, he steadily built a network of connections throughout Newark and Licking County that remains intact to this day.

"Kent's reporting, dedication, courage, fairness to all and work ethic are a big reason The Advocate has been successful for so many years," said former Advocate editor Michael Shearer, who joined Mallett at The Advocate in 2000 — before the newspaper had a website.

Shearer highlighted Mallett's coverage of Newark's various mayoral races and candidates, some more colorful than others; the boom and decline of the Longaberger Company, including the death of its founder, Dave Longaberger; and more council and commissioner meetings than anyone would be willing to guess.

"I am grateful for Kent's many, many contributions to the community and the newspaper," Shearer said.

For Mallett's wife, being able to watch her husband go from a young man early in his career to a father and grandfather just as devoted to the field as when he began has been both rewarding and affirming that he chose the right career path.

"He enjoys his work, obviously," she said. "He’ll probably keep working as long as he can."

On Monday, when Mallett arrived in the council chamber to prepare for his coverage of the public meeting, he sat down before realizing — to his great surprise — that his coworkers, wife, daughters, and four grandsons were there as well. His daughters, Laurel and Ashley, and grandsons all wore "Cubbie blue" in honor of Mallett's beloved Chicago Cubs.

Hall read the the proclamation, which stated "Kent has a long career investigating and writing news stories. His job has been complex and challenging — a job that he has done very well. His commitment to gather information and process it in a newsworthy form has been dependable."

Mallett thanked everyone for attending and then joked that everything was off the record.

In reflecting on the evening and his tenure of service, Mallett said he was appreciative for all who have supported him on his journey — family, friends and coworkers through the years. He said he has always enjoyed writing and never aspired to be an editor for that reason.

The proclamation had been a surprise, and when offered the opportunity to speak, he found himself short of words.

"I spent 35 years putting words together, but I can't think of anything," he reflected.