Learning Experience Well Worth Time Here

The only other time I sat down at the computer to pound out this kind of column, circumstances were different. I had been told several hours prior that my sportswriting days at the Marshall Chronicle were through.

My words - jotted out hastily - were a mushy farewell to the community where I had first experienced the joy and wonder of professional journalism.

Someone once told me that, in this business, you'll end up getting fired at least once. Not that it made me feel any better. But I swore the same would never happen again - that next time, the goodbye would be by my own volition, and my words would not be a teary-eyed departure, but rather a thought-out, positive look back at this business and the people I worked with.

Welcome to next time. After more than 22 months in Ogemaw County - an adventure I've come to label "Northeastern Michigan Exposure" - I am moving on to greener pastures.

When I interviewed for this position in June 1990, I had limited background in news writing. My journalism resume contained plenty of sports, light features and humor.opinion columns, but little in the way of hard news.

The Herald's managing editor - a wonderful mentor named Jeffrey Savitskie, whose name I could barely pronounce, let alone spell correctly - had a slew of applicants. That's the way it is in this competitive business. I'm sure many had far more news writing experience, or had more solid credentials on their resume.

But for some reason, he decided to take a gamble and hire me as West Branch's answer to Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter.

And for that I am grateful. What I have learned from this job is infinite.

The newspaper business is very competitive - not just in the hiring process, but a s a whole. There are people who believe journalists "do lunch" with political bigwigs, or have late-night pow-wows to follow party lines and decide just what is and is not news.

Nothing is further from the truth. True, my job as a reporter is to find out the facts. But it is also to "scoop" the competition, to produce a story the other papers - or even other writers at the same paper - don't have. We are elated when we have the inside track, deflated when beaten out on a hot piece.

The competitive edge. Not only is Jeffrey one of the most competent journalistic minds I have ever known, he is competitive. Like most journalists, he hates to be burned by the competition.

But there is more to Jeffrey than this. He is quick to suggest different angles on stories or point out flaws in writing technique. He can play "devil's advocate" with anyone on any topic, and do it well.

Jeffrey has an uncanny ability to analyze his workers individually, to know their limits and push them as hard as they can if they are not reaching what he feels are attainable goals. From personal experience, this can be frustrating ... mostly because if I'm not reaching those limits, I'm not sure who is harder to deal with - him or myself.

Jeffrey is also one of the most honest, fair people I have come across - qualities which make him not only a fine journalist, where being unbiased and honest are essential, but a fine human being.

I have been very lucky and fortunate to learn as much as I have from him in this business, a serious business where we are paid to watch history happen, write about what we have seen, heard and smelled, then do it again tomorrow.

And that's what counts. Today's story might be a Pulitzer winner. Or maybe it was a "no-brainer." It doesn't matter, because the news business is not about today - it's about tomorrow. In this business, no one is any better than what they will do tomorrow.

And for me, tomorrow is a whole new frontier, a vista waiting to be discovered. Ogemaw County, thanks for tolerating me and allowing me to be part of you - if only for a little bit.

This article originally appeared in the Ogemaw County Herald.