Even though we worked in the same newsroom for only 18 months – and that was nearly 40 years ago – I’ve never forgotten some valuable lessons I learned from one of the finest newsmen in this region.
Bill McGuire retired from The Guardian last week after 44 years in the journalism business.
In 1979, when I started my first reporting job at The Guardian’s bureau office in Summerside, Bill was the office manager. It was several weeks before I landed my first front-page story, one I thought was an interesting account of a bachelor who bought a full-page in the paper to advertise for a wife. When there was no mention of the story at work the next morning, I asked Bill what he thought of it – no doubt fishing for a compliment.
“It’s OK,” he replied. Then he added, “What are you working on for tomorrow?”
Lesson 1: Don’t rest on your laurels. You’re only as good as your last story and the reality is, there are empty pages waiting to be filled in the next edition. Move on.
If there was any doubt about the absolute necessity of accuracy in reporting, Bill hammered it home to me soon after I arrived.
I made a careless error in a police report and the next morning, Bill met me at the front desk. Pointing to the offending article, he told me police had just called and they weren’t happy. In fact, they were threatening to sue, a lawsuit they’d likely win if it went ahead. He detailed the dire consequences of that outcome, both to the paper and to the reporter.
A correction could mitigate the damage, he said, and it wouldn’t hurt to apologize directly to police. I still recall the painfully long drive up Central Street to the RCMP detachment. Once there, I said Bill had told me about the lawsuit and started to offer an apology. Their first response was amusement, quickly followed by laughter. Exactly what did McGuire tell you, they asked? Turns out they had called the office all right but only to ask for a correction. No anger, no threat of suing. I was so relieved, I couldn’t even be upset with the prank.
Lesson 2: Make sure you get it right – every time. Doublecheck if you’re not sure. And if you do screw up, correct the error and don’t make that mistake again.
Over the next 18 months, and in the years I’ve known Bill since, there were many other examples of his razor-sharp wit and wry sense of humour. And from that …
Lesson 3: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Show up every day. Do your best. And along the way, have some fun. Bill certainly did, and in a way often lightened the mood and gave those around him reason to smile.
From politics to sports, and just about everything in between, Bill has either written about it or edited it since the mid-1970s. I’m fortunate to have worked with him so early in my reporting career. Five years ago, we came full circle when he was appointed The Guardian’s opinion page editor and once again, he was editing my copy – this time my bi-monthly column.
Bill McGuire is an outstanding newsman, a memorable mentor and a good friend, and I wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement.
- Wayne Young is an instructor in the journalism program at Holland College in Charlottetown.
