I was covering the Iowa Statehouse for radio/TV when my stepdad asked what kind of money I was making in the premier scribbling job. He laughed when I told him and invited me to quit and come to work for him.
He had taken early retirement from a major coal company and wanted to start his own business mining and selling coal. He did. I did.
That gig led to a big Great Lakes Coal operator that was later acquired by a major oil company.
I discovered that tracking down a story and asking for an interview was little different from identifying a customer and asking for a sales order.
Great business letters were the only hint of who I once was...
At every stop there was much to learn and I was willing.
Investigative journalism is a fascinating field. Just think if journalism students had the guts and independence to pursue stories today! But, as Rush says, they are brought up to believe “they must make a difference.”
Give me Charlie MacArthur and Ben Hecht any day.