My name is Jonathan Mitchell and I went to college at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Born and raised in Texas, I’m a big fan of football and good barbecue. How does that relate to journalism? Well I’ll tell you.

The reason I got into journalism in the first place is because I love sports, and I knew I wanted my job to be in some way related to sports.

After some thought and a semester as a writer for my high school newspaper, I knew journalism was the route for me.

While I didn’t get to cover as much sports as I would’ve liked, my experience working on the newspaper and for the high school yearbook staff gave me a taste of what journalism is about.

Never before had I enjoyed working on something as hard as I did for those two publications, and once I realized that I started looking for colleges to attend. Mizzou topped that list, and so I spent four years in the wonderful city of Columbia, Missouri plying my trade and learning what it truly means to be a journalist in today’s world. From the friends I made to the experiences I had, those four years shaped me into the man I am today.

I am so excited to be here in Pear River County and work for this paper that’s been around far longer than I’ve been alive. There’s so much history in this paper and this area, and I can’t wait to explore it all.

Now back to football and barbecue. I am, unfortunately, a Dallas Cowboys fan. It’s bad I know, but that’s how I was born and raised, and nothing goes with football in Texas like barbecue.

Feel free to contact me at jonathan.mitchell@picayuneitem.com with barbecue recommendations, or questions in general.

I am looking forward to exploring the area, and learning everything I can about this beautiful area.