| Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley | | | | publisher spent all of his time walking around the |
| Thirty-nine years ago I had taken a weekend job as | | | | newsroom for the next few days and telling anyone |
| a police reporter for the Colorado Springs Free Press, | | | | that would listen that "he had been in the news |
| a daily newspaper competitor to the long-established | | | | business for more than 40 years and had never, |
| Colorado Springs Gazette. The Free Press was a | | | | ever, seen a kid catch on to the business as quickly |
| morning paper and the Gazette an afternoon paper in | | | | as this Bagley kid." |
| Colorado in 1968. | | | | Within a week, I was the new sports editor of the |
| Early one Saturday night an elderly man who looked | | | | Colorado Springs Free Press, a daily newspaper. I |
| like my grandfather came rushing into the newsroom, | | | | quickly hired a bunch of my friends and contacts, and |
| making a beeline path to my desk. | | | | spent my immediate future covering the Denver |
| "I have a problem and I need help," he said quickly. | | | | Broncos in the NFL and the Air Force Academy in the |
| "What can I do?" I replied, kicking myself for | | | | NCAA. |
| volunteering. I was new to the police scene and really | | | | How did it happen that I could make such an |
| had not acclimated myself to the routine. After | | | | incredible impression in my most vulnerable moment? |
| glancing around, I became aware that he was headed | | | | Here is how: |
| my way because I was the only choice at that | | | | When the publisher asked me if I knew anything |
| moment. | | | | about putting out a newspaper section, I did not tell |
| "Do you know anything about producing a sports | | | | him that I: |
| section?" he asked. | | | | 1) Was an award-winning sports editor for The |
| Not knowing what I might be getting into, I slowly | | | | Arrowhead, my school newspaper at Flint Central |
| answered, "I played some sports in high school." | | | | High School in Flint (MI). |
| Then he shared his situation: "I have been somewhat | | | | 2) Was a Michigan State University graduate with a |
| critical of my sports editor in recent weeks, and | | | | Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism. |
| when I arrived to work this afternoon, I found out | | | | 3) Was a weekly newspaper editor prior to arriving in |
| that he had up and quit, walking out in a huff. | | | | Colorado Springs. |
| Because of the loyalty of his staff, they all walked | | | | 4) Knew how to handle wire copy, write stories, |
| out with him in a show of solidarity. I need to put out | | | | take and develop pictures, layout pages, write |
| the sports section tonight and I need your help." | | | | headlines and photo captions, and do everything else |
| Being older, more experienced and more mature, I | | | | that needed to be done. |
| now realize I kind of felt like the President was | | | | 5) Was an outstanding prep runner in high school, had |
| calling, and so I stuck my neck out by agreeing to | | | | played baseball, basketball, football and hockey in my |
| help. | | | | youth, and was also on the swim team in high school. |
| My needy "grandfather" figure turned out to be the | | | | Why did I do this? Easy, if I shot off my mouth |
| publisher of the newspaper. He quickly ushered me | | | | about what I knew and then screwed up, I would |
| into the wire room, and began a two-minute drill on | | | | never regain the publisher's confidence in my abilities. |
| what I would have to do in taking stories off of the | | | | By wisely acting normal but giving the impression that |
| Associated Press and United Press International news | | | | I had fallen off of a hayseed wagon, anything I did |
| wires. The first thing you learn is the stories are | | | | was impressive to a man with an urgent need. |
| continuous on the multiple wires. | | | | The moral to this real life, true story is: Never be too |
| Then he took me to the sports department and | | | | quick to tell people what you know or can do, and |
| began explaining how we needed to choose stories | | | | never be too slow to figure out when opportunity is |
| to run, edit copy, layout news pages, write headlines, | | | | knocking. It is called street smarts and it is one way |
| choose pictures to crop and run, write photo | | | | that successful people get ahead in life. |
| captions, answer phone calls from stringers in the | | | | From potential disaster, I would go on to be editor or |
| field, take dictation over the phone, etc. There were | | | | managing editor of 6 weeklies, an investigative |
| formerly several support staffers that did these | | | | reporter for a daily, managing editor of a daily and |
| tasks daily with the sports editor in command. | | | | own and operate a community publishing company. |
| It became obvious to me that the publisher had not | | | | Another very important lesson in life that I learned |
| done squat in producing a daily sports sectionor any | | | | from this experience was, when a person has a |
| section of the paperin years. We started sending | | | | need, do not shoot off your face about what you |
| copy and photos down to production so typesetters | | | | know, simply shut up and get about the business of |
| could get cranking out copy. There was some real | | | | helping the person at THEIR point of need, not yours. |
| trauma at times, but we managed to get the job | | | | Life has a way of rewarding people who tend to be |
| done. | | | | more other-centered than self-centered. |
| Remember that 38 years ago, there was no | | | | Take your eye off of yourself and put it on |
| Internet, no transferring of files, no software | | | | someone else, and life will naturally send its blessings |
| programs to generate area layout, and no automatic | | | | your way. |
| plating process. Everything was done by hand with | | | | (Editor's Note: After I left the Free Press, it was |
| IBM Selectric typewriters, and over the phone. | | | | apparently acquired by the Sun Newspaper chain and |
| At the end of the night, the publisher was very | | | | became a liberal leaning news product in competition |
| grateful and invited me back to join him in the next | | | | with the more conservative Gazette-Telegraph. In |
| night's production. Long story short, I told him I | | | | the 1980s it apparently changed hands again when |
| would do it and call him if I needed any help. That | | | | the Freedom Newspaper chain, owner of the |
| made him even more grateful. I did not call him the | | | | Gazette-Telegraph, bought it and eliminated its only |
| next night and produced as good a sports section as | | | | competition by immediately firing the staff and |
| they had ever done. | | | | shutting it down. |
| What happened after that was incredible. The | | | | |