Briefly describe your job.

I’m a staff writer for the Palm Beach Post. I work on southern Palm Beach County issues, hurricanes and other severe weather, breaking news and projects. I also write a weekly question-and-answer column on local history.

I also have a second career writing books. To date, I have written nine; all are non-fiction, most are historical, and all focus on Florida.

How long have you been working in this field?

I’ve been writing professionally for 30 years, since I did my first freelance piece in college. After graduating in 1978, I was in public relations for a year and radio and television for five years. I then switched to newspapers and spent 2-1/2 years at the Dallas Morning News before returning to Florida to join the Post.  I have been there ever since.

When and how did you decide to choose this career? 

My dad was the editor of the now-defunct Miami News, so I grew up in the newsroom. In college, I believed I wanted to follow the law, but I eventually realized my purpose in life was to write. I was briefly sidetracked by the lure of broadcasting but eventually settled into print journalism.

What education and training did you receive before entering your field?

Two bachelor’s degrees, in print journalism and broadcasting, from the University of Florida.

How did you begin OR what was your first job in the field?

I followed a circuitous route through public relations and broadcasting, but once I was in print, I never looked back.

Describe a typical day on the job?

The greatest thing about the news business is there is no “typical” day. I’ve spent weeks working on a single article and written seven stories in one day. I’ve sat through city council meetings without writing a word and given play-by-play reports by phone during breaking stories. I’ve spent hours at a car wreck in the middle of the night just to write a brief and I’ve stood in the White House. I’ve written about the most mundane of subjects and reported from hurricanes and airplane crashes.

What do you like most about what you do?

I can’t imagine anything more rewarding than seeing my ideas and thoughts in print and receiving feedback from people who were moved, entertained or educated. 

What has been the most rewarding experience so far in your career?

Probably being eyewitness to historic events, many of them disturbing but all profound: Hurricane Andrew, the ValuJet accident, the 2000 presidential election recount, the space shuttle, the Sept. 11 terrorists in South Florida.

What do you like least about your job?

Our business is like firefighting; hours of boredom separated by moments of sheer terror!

What is the biggest challenge for you in this job?

Making every story fresh and compelling every day.

What would you like to say to someone considering this career?

If you want to be a television anchor, take acting lessons. If you want to be a real journalist, be prepared to work hard and for long hours, on humdrum stories and for small audiences, and work your way up. And you won’t become a millionaire. You need to do it for love. Also, keep in mind that the onslaught of TV and the Internet are strongly hampering the newspaper business; expect newspapers to change over the next decades in order to survive.

What are the most important personal and professional skills necessary to succeed in your field?

You don’t learn to write by reading a book about it. You learn by writing. Write, write, write, write, write! Even if you end up in another field, being able to write clearly and concisely might well be your most valuable tool.

What would a person interested in entering this field have to do to get a good job in it?

Surprisingly, many people in this business do not have journalism degrees. You might well be best served by minoring in journalism and getting your degree in an area of interest such as political science, health, history, even the law. Whatever your curriculum, get that writing experience in school!

When you get out, be prepared to do grunt work while you make your way to more prestigious assignments. And keep in mind that, despite what detractors say, the newspaper business is one of the most ethical and exhaustively self-policed professions.

What could someone who is interested in this field do to learn more about it right now?

Simple: Read the paper. Read more than one. Go on-line and read out-of-town papers. Watch TV news and see the difference in the quality of journalism and how the two media handle the news. Write for your school paper. If possible, get an internship at one of the local papers.

Is there any general advice you would like to offer to students on making a career choice or on work life itself?

Be prepared to abandon a career path if it doesn’t work out or isn’t fulfilling, financially or emotionally. Nothing is worse than looking back on the years with regret.