When you’re hired on in some businesses, you have a week or two to settle in, take an introductory tour around the facilities and maybe even go through an orientation program.
In the newspaper business, though, you’re usually thrust right into action.
On my first day at The Kansas City Times, in September 1969, a reporter named Harihar Krishnan (how could I forget that?) gave me a brief newsroom tour, showing me where to hang my coat, get notebooks and other supplies and how to use the criss-cross directories. He then said, “That’s about it.”
“What do I do now”? I asked Krishnan.
“Sit down, put your feet on the desk, smoke a cigar, read a magazine — do whatever you want,” he said.
…Now this, I thought, is pretty good!
Within minutes, however, the phone on my desk was ringing. Puzzled, I picked up the heavy black receiver and said, “Hello.” The voice on the other end said, “This is the McGilley Midtown Chapel; I have one for you.”
I had no idea what the person was talking about and asked him to hold. Covering the mouthpiece with my hand, I shouted over to the city editor that somebody on the line apparently had the wrong number.
“No,” the city editor called back. “It’s a funeral home calling with an obituary; take down the information.”
It was at that moment I learned I hadn’t really been hired as a “general assignment reporter” but as an obituary writer — which, at the time, was the apprenticeship every KC Times and Star reporter had to serve before reaching true general assignment status.
I bring up my Kansas City Times indoctrination as a parallel to what has occurred since Steve Vockrodt, formerly of The Pitch, started work as development reporter at The Star on Monday, June 6.
I expected Vockrodt, an experienced reporter, to get out of the blocks quickly, but his production has surprised even me. By my count, using the kansascity.com “search” box, Vockrodt has had nine bylined stories in eight working days. That’s churning ’em out, and it shows what an impact the hiring of one experienced journalist can have. It also illustrates, by contrast, the enervating effect that laying off and buying out experienced reporters can have.
Since 2008, two years after McClatchy purchased The Star and about 20 other Knight Ridder papers, The Star has shed scores of newsroom employees — and hundreds in the overall operation — to the point where the news hole got so small that many people wondered how long The Star could continue publishing the print edition every day.
No longer do I hear significant speculation about the prospect of some daily print editions being dropped, and the hiring of Vockrodt and several other young journalists in recent weeks tends to indicate The Star has steadied after years of tumbling down the cliff.
..But back to Vockrodt and the impact one reporter can make. His most recent story, posted today, is about Cabela’s announced intention to build a new store in Lee’s Summit. Should it come to pass, it undoubtedly would hurt business at the only existing area Cabela’s store, the one at Village West in Kansas City, KS.
As part of a development agreement with the Unified Government, Cabela’s apparently agreed not to build another store within 150 miles until at least 2023. The Unified Government is now considering its options, which, presumably, could include legal action. In his story, Vockrodt said a spokesman at Cabela’s corporate offices in Sidney, NE, did not respond to “several attempts seeking comment for this story.”
This is an important story and one that might not have gotten the attention it deserved if Vockrodt was not on the job. But it’s a symbolic of a bigger picture, too. To execute its mission — providing readers with the news they need and want — major metropolitan newspapers have an obligation to maintain strong reporting staffs. They need a lot of people watching and applying pressure in various places — including private enterprise and government agencies — and making those “attempts seeking comment for this story.”
Jim:
The Star has a winner in Steve Vockrodt, He did some outstanding stuff for the Pitch. It’s great to have him on board.
Cheers,
Laura
Fitz. Your best lede ever
Thanks a lot, Rick…I can just picture you laughing at that anecdote as you read it.
(That’s quite a compliment coming from a reporter of your stature, Rick…Ladies and gentlemen, Rick Serrano of the L.A. Times.)
Egh. I wrote my own share of obits.
Rick Serrano was indeed a fine, fine reporter. But I’m guessing he had a pretty good copy desk to back him up. “You’re best lede ever.” Your, not you’re :)
Blame that one on spellcheck. But good eye
I’ve been on the Star’s site a few times today, and this is the first I’m hearing about Cabela’s.
I set up a link to the story in the post. Click on the (lightly) highlighted words “most recent story.”
Strange. I went back and looked again after I left that comment and still didn’t see it. Oh well … thank you.
Onward, forward, pens aloft, Underwoods ribboned and ready… A paper for the people.
Felicitous phrasing if I’ve ever seen it…
Brian — Good catch on “your” vs. “you’re.” I fixed it. As I’ve said many times, every reporter needs a good desk behind him or her.
Since I just read your last column also let me say that this emphasis on hiring new reporting talent is great news for the Kansas City community. Mike Rice is absolutely correct that the loss of such a substantial portion of the Star’s institutional memory still leaves a void in the paper’s reporting.
I’ve always been puzzled as to why The Star got rid of the one resource that amatuer bloggers can’t compete with, i.e. original reporting, while keeping a highly paid and pathetically predictable editorial staff that could easily be replaced by using local bloggers on a per column basis.
I’m still puzzled as to why they want to waste money to replace the two editorial writers when they would be better served to can the two who remain. Is there anyone who doesn’t know what Yael and Lewis are going to write about and what they’ll say?
At any rate, one hopes The Star continues this emphasis on creating more original news. It’s the first positive news about the paper we’ve had in ages.
A good comment — and strategically placed — by KC’s most ardent advocate for more journalistic “raw material.”
I am indeed. I’m just sorry to see Steve leave The Pitch. I thought he did a great job there.