My journalism career

Check out a map of my career travels or the separate summary of my journalism training career.

Gazette Communications, Cedar Rapids, IA, June 2008-present

I came to Cedar Rapids as editor of The Gazette and GazetteOnline June 10, 2008, two days before a historic disaster that flooded more than 5,000 Cedar Rapids homes and 1,000 businesses. With no power in our building for a month, we did not miss an edition and provided multi-platform coverage that has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, Inland Press Association, National Press Photographers Association, Iowa Associated Press Managing Editors and Iowa Newspaper Association. The Society of Business Editors and Writers, Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association, Mid-America Press Institute, Iowa High School Press Association, Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, Iowa Newspaper Association and American Copy Editors Society have asked for presentations on our digital coverage of the disaster. I am now the C3 Coach, leading innovation efforts in pursuit of the Complete Community Connection, my vision for a new business model for media companies. I have been an industry leader in the use of digital techniques such as Twitter and liveblogging and led webinars on both those topics as part of the American Society of News Editors virtual convention. I write the Pursuing the Complete Community Connection blog. As editor, I wrote a weekly column and occasional live chats and produced a multimedia story about the discovery of a home movie of a historic moment during World War II.

 

My third day at Gazette Communications, we were covering a historic flood.

American Press Institute, Reston, VA, 2005-2008, with continuing affiliation

I was a leader in the Newspaper Next innovation project, teaching the principles and tools of innovation in 11 seminars for newspaper companies, 37 conferences, two regional workshops, the Bureau of Justice Statistics and more than a dozen API seminars in 33 states, four Canadian provinces, Mexico, Japan, Germany and Ecuador. I researched and wrote Be the Answer: Using interactive databases to provide answers and generate revenue, a Newspaper Next report, and led a workshop on interactive databases. I received two grants for separate series of ethics seminars, Our Readers Are Watching (2005-2008), and Upholding and Updating Ethical Standards (2008-present). I have presented ethics seminars for 13 newsrooms, seven associations and a university, with four more scheduled. I also delivered training programs in leadership, project management, management, writing, copy editing and multimedia storytelling and coordinated other programs for more than 100 clients. I was the moderator for nine 2006-8 API seminars and have been a discussion leader for two API seminars this year. I wrote the eTuner quarterly critique for Freedom Newspapers. I coordinated annual evaluations for 40-plus newspapers and contest judging for three organizations. I led sessions on “Transforming for Innovation” for the fall 2007 Learning Newsroom workshops.

Omaha World-Herald, Omaha, Neb., 2000-2005

Among stories I did for the Omaha World-Herald was an interview of Mikhail Gorbachev.

I spent five years as the World-Herald’s National Correspondent and Writing Coach. I covered sexual abuse by Catholic priests and Boys Town staff, failures of Nebraska’s child welfare system, anti-Semitic bullying in schools, resettlement of Lost Boys of Sudan, forced marriages of under-age girls in Omaha Sudanese community, domestic violence, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Afghanistan Studies, illegal immigration and the 9/11 attack, aftermath and anniversary. I also wrote the narrative about the people in the famous 1943 “Homecoming” photo that led to a multimedia story 11 years later at The Gazette. I directed newsroom training programs, led writing workshops and coached individual reporters. I oversaw the “Reality Checks” audit of World-Herald content and studied and reported on diversity issues for the executive editor. 

Des Moines Register, Des Moines, Iowa, 1998-2000

One of the missionaries I was covering on a trip to Venezuela shot this in 2000.

Religion Editor/Writing Coach. Issues and events covered included Pope John Paul II’s 1999 visit to St. Louis, marketing of churches, divisions within Catholicism, conflicts over homosexuality, a mission trip to Venezuela. Led writing workshops for newsroom and coached individual reporters.

Omaha World-Herald, 1993-1998

Staff Writer. Issues covered included environment, agriculture, rape, school desegregation, domestic violence, Lawrence Phillips case, flooding, sexual abuse by a priest, murders, racial disparities, girls’ basketball, health insurance.

Minot Daily News, Minot, N.D., 1991-1992

Editor. Supervised news staff of 24. Oversaw conversion from evening to morning publication. Wrote weekly column. Chaired editorial board and wrote editorials. Led staff to best performance ever in North Dakota Newspaper Association excellence awards.

Kansas City Star and Times, Kansas City, Mo., 1985-1991

Agri-Business Writer, Assistant Managing Editor/National and Mid-America, National/Mid-America Editor, Assistant National/Mid-America Editor. Supervised national and regional news and editing staff of 24, including bureaus in Washington, Topeka, Jefferson City, St. Louis, Springfield, St. Joseph, Lawrence and Wichita. Directed coverage of 1988 presidential election. Directed merger of Star and Times national and regional staffs. Covered agriculture and agri-business.

Des Moines Register, 1977-1985

I got a lot of high-powered help in calling George Bush The Elder the winner of the 1980 Republican caucuses.

Staff Writer, Launch Editor for Hometown regional section, Deputy Metro/Iowa Editor, Chief Assistant City Editor, Assistant City Editor, Copy Editor. Supervised coverage of 1984 Iowa caucuses. Supervised reporting staff of more than 30 during merger of Register and Tribune staffs. Started metro/Iowa copy desk.

Evening Sentinel, Shenandoah, Iowa, 1971-72, 1975, 1976-77

Managing Editor, Editorial Page Editor, Staff Writer, Intern, Sports Editor, Sports Writer. I started as a senior in high school, covering sports and returned for an internship during college and following graduation.