Starting this week, staff writer Joe Toppe joins the news team at Community Journals, writing primarily for the Upstate Business Journal.
Toppe will cover Greenville city government and focus on economic development, transportation, manufacturing and design for UBJ. He said his first aim is to build sound relationships with the men and women on those beats.
“It is my opinion that relationships are built on trust, especially a relationship between a reporter and a business professional, mayor or city official,” he said. “It is crucial that a reporter establish friendly dialogue between his or her publication and the contacts. Once this is done, trust is established and a solid relationship will follow.”
Toppe worked most recently with Civitas Media, writing 10-15 stories each week for the Easley Progress, Powdersville Post and Pickens Sentinel newspapers. He has enjoyed covering such business stories as the arrival of TaylorMade Golf Company’s manufacturing plant in Pickens County and expectations that it will revive the surrounding community’s damaged economy.
Toppe also keeps an eye toward the future of the Internet and has written columns about how social media is shaping the world of commerce. He believes one of the biggest challenges facing any journalist is “staying ahead of the curve with communications, because the channels of communication change so much.” He’s particularly interested in helping to establish a strong virtual presence for UBJ, helping to navigate the evolving world of social media.
Before working for Civitas Media, Toppe worked in public relations, journalism and other communications positions. He also worked as a photographic assistant for several Associated Press photographers on sports assignments. He has a master’s degree in public relations from Kent State University and a bachelor’s degree in the science of communication from University of Phoenix.
Toppe grew up in Indiana and South Carolina, making the permanent move to South Carolina 15 years ago to be near family. He said he loves the Palmetto State, which he sees as a “timeline of American history.” Greenville in particular is “the perfect format for other cities crossing that bridge from medium-sized city to significant metropolitan area,” he said.
Outside of work, Toppe said he is a longtime wrestler and has been training in the martial art of Brazilian jiujitsu at Alliance Jiu-Jitsu of Greenville for more than five years. He lives in Greenville with his wife and two children.
“The best night for me is just watching a movie with my wife and kids,” he said. “That’s the best thing in world. It seems so hard to get to anymore.”
