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