A former colleague of mine at a paper I worked at many years ago asked about whether there were differences in newspapers, because I had worked for a few before joining that paper.

It was a fair - and excellent - question. They’re all different, I said. Each has its own personality, and I can say that my answer hasn’t varied much since I replied to his question many years ago. But each paper I have worked for has had something in common - a desire to inform the readers about matters of public interest.

I started last week at The Mexico Ledger and I’m excited about work-
ing here. I’ve worked at more than a dozen papers now in a career that has spanned three decades, with most of my stops at papers in Texas. A lot has changed in those 30 years - in my early career, the noise of Associated Press bulletins blasted across newsrooms - and no one could have guessed where the industry would be now.

Throughout my career, I have covered everything from news to sports to obits to features. You name it, I’ve done it. In my early career, I was a film reviewer. I have been a full-time reporter and a freelancer.

Favorite experiences? Sure. I’ve enjoyed covering sports because there’s something compelling about an event that is not scripted. Getting a story finished and sent to an editor before deadline is an adrenaline rush every reporter savors.

Speaking of scripts, I’ve enjoyed covering theater and the fine arts. In the early part of my career, I enjoyed covering religion and wrote for a section in which we explored issues surrounding what was going on in society, with many stories having a spiritual dimension or underpinning. It’s fun to ask people what they believe and why they believe it.

I’ll be covering a lot of hard news in the community here, such as schools and city government. Working in media has been an adventure, and I wouldn’t trade my experiences for anything. I’m excited for the opportunity here and hope I can help The Mexico Ledger be the best paper it can be.