I’m trying to be a good guy in a stressed out world.

I think (a lot) about marriage, fatherhood, character, and leadership. I write for people who strive to be good and want to contribute at home, work, and in their communities.

Coming to you with love from Detroit, Michigan.

Finding Courage in the Michigan Daily's Newsroom

OVERVIEW

When I arrived on campus as an undergrad at the University of Michigan, I wanted to do something different than the student government activities I had always participated in during high school. After a few days thought, I decided to become a news reporter for the school paper, The Michigan Daily, and showed up to the newsroom in pursuit of that job. As it happens, that experience of being a reporter was one of the most interesting and enthralling of my life. I covered many stories in many places and practiced my writing skills, but more than anything being a reporter helped me become a better person and better leader.

SKILLS AND AND INSIGHTS GAINED 

Pushing Back on Authority – The first story I wrote covered a Fortune 50 Industrial Products company who was accused of polluting a Mid-Michigan river with a dangerous chemical – dioxin. After I wrote the story, a PR exec at the company demanded that I make revisions to the story because in his view it was inaccurate. My editors disagreed. As a result, I called the PR exec and was forced to defend my reporting and in the end I assuaged the PR exec and my editors by convincing both that a limited number of revisions was appropriate. I had to push back on both parties – the PR exec and my editors – to ensure my article reflected the truth.

Learning in the Field – I once wrote a story on the economic impact on local Coca-Cola bottlers after the University suspended the sale of Coke products. I had written a good story, but my editors insisted that I get a comment from a Coca-Cola representative. I rebuffed, saying that I had tried calling the company for comment several times, to no avail. My editor then insisted that I go to a nearby Coke bottling site to get a comment. I reluctantly went, even though I was nervous about going into the field and I was worried about meeting my deadline. I went with a photographer and had a fantastic conversation with a truck driver from the company. As it turns out, getting out of the newsroom was exactly what the story needed. 

Courage – When I was an undergrad, the school’s Theatre Department presented a performance of The Laramie Project – a play that describes the story of Matthew Shephard, a teenage boy from Laramie, Wyoming who was killed in a brutal hate crime because he was gay. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a cult notorious for rallying against gay people, protested the school’s performance. As the reporter assigned to the story, I had to interview people from WBC, something I was terrified to do because of their reputation and my personal beliefs. In addition to calling them on the phone, I interviewed several protest and counter-protest groups for the story on the day of the performance, weaving in and out of picket lines and human chains. It was the first time I had to get over sincere fear to get the story.

IMPACT AND LESSONS LEARNED

I reflect on my time as a newspaper reporter and believe it to be one of the most developmental (and exciting) experiences I’ve ever had. Of course, it made me a better writer, but more than that it taught me how to push my own boundaries further. Now, I’m much more prone to do things that I’ve never attempted before because I regularly forced myself into uncomfortable situations as a reporter.

There’s a moment of nausea and anxiety I feel when I’m about to do something I’m afraid of. Being a reporter taught me how to get over that fear and push forward. It’s a skill I’ve found invaluable as a management consultant, blogger, public servant, and pursuer of intimate relationships.

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