My 2 Cents — 40 Years And Counting

I began my 40th year in the newspaper business today by listening to a brief presentation by an employment service rep re: how to handle a mandatory furlough this quarter. I’ve only filed for unemployment once in my previous 39 years in the biz — after I lost my job as managing editor of the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell, Mont in 1982. I spent that summer painting my house for sale in Kalispell before landing a job as a news editor with the Lewiston Tribune. Beyond that, I’ve been gainfully employed as a journalist since June 1970 when I joined the Chico Enterprise-Record as a fill-in sportswriter and later general assignment reporter. I began my career at the end of the hot-metal/linotype days and will end it in cyberspace. I’ve worked as a sports editor, bureau chief, managing editor, news editor, local government reporter, columnist, editorialist, and now blogger. For most of my career, I wanted to remain a working journalist until I was 70. So I could say like few others that I spent a half century in the news biz. Now, I don’t know if newspapers will be around in 2019. I’ll continue to ride the newspaper wave for another 5 years, if I can. You’re welcome to ride the wave with me until market pressures bring it to an end.