Earl Maucker is the
editor and vice president of the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. |
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— Do It All,
Do It Now
Exposure to working as part of a small staff at The Telegraph, Alton,
Ill., (circulation 29,000) continues to pay dividends to this day as I
play editor to more than 350 editorial staffers in a competitive South
Florida market.
The reasons are obvious to anyone who has ever worked at a smaller newspaper
where being able to function in a number of different departments on any
given day was the norm.
As a reporter at the Telegraph, I might cover a murder in the morning,
a luncheon at the local Rotary Club, and finish my day at a high school
football game. I often carried a camera to my assignments and it was not
uncommon to hook up with someone from circulation or marketing at a local
community event. We shared information at all times on all levels. You
went where you were needed when you were needed, and it was not uncommon
to write several stories in a day.
It gave me an understanding and, perhaps more importantly, an appreciation
of what my colleagues were doing in other departments.
I began my newspaper career as an apprentice printer. My duties in
the composing room were invaluable.
Later in my career, as a news editor at a larger daily newspaper, I
still had an uncommon bond with my friends in the shop. I knew the issues
they were dealing with and had an appreciation and respect for their craft.
Whole text books have been written about the need to work effectively
among diverse groups.
Working at a small newspaper provided a solid foundation to my education
in newspapering that continues today.
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