Thoughts on 5 Decades in the Agency Business

In the early 1970s, the newsroom at the San Diego Evening Tribune was like something out of a movie: a sea of cluttered desks, the constant ringing of telephones, copy kids scurrying to take hot news from the reporters’ typewriters to the editors, ceaseless banter increasing the cacophony and color.

Occasionally the bastion of our newsroom was breached by visitors who had been approved in advance, leading to my first encounters with public relations. When I moved to the business desk at the paper, PR people would call and ask to meet in person, so they could pitch a story idea or introduce me to a firm.

Some of the PR pitches were more professional than others. At the top end of the spectrum, two well-dressed professionals from the telephone company brought a comprehensive media kit on their organization, along with trend stories from industry trade publications, for further background. They suggested I take time to review those materials, and then we could meet for lunch to discuss possible story ideas.