CONSIDER THIS: How I Sniff Out the News

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

Michael Rodriguez

When I first walked into the San Benito News, I became intoxicated by the smell of ink. There was just something about that musky odor that I associated with professionalism and serious journalism.

Of course, at 23 years old and lacking experience, I was anything but professional or serious. Consider that the last job I held was a dishwasher and cashier at a Harlingen pizzeria, and my only college education consisted of a few semesters in the Network Information Management program at Texas State Technical College.

An educated and experienced man I was not.

So there I was, sitting before Ray Quiroga, Managing Editor of the San Benito News, asking for a job as a reporter. To this day, I’m not sure how I convinced myself that I had a shot at a career I’ve always admired without the tools or knowhow.

“Let’s start with you telling me a little bit about yourself,” Ray said.

“Well, okay,” I mumbled, visibly intimidated by the seasoned journalist who rarely blinked and whose body language indicated that he wasn’t exactly impressed with my application and résumé.

It’s funny to note that my “résumé” was actually generated from a Microsoft Word template; it included my one job under “Experience” and a plethora of generic talents under “Skills”.

Yeah…He knew it was utter crap.

Still, this was my chance to prove myself worthy. Ironically, it was acknowledging that I was neither worthy nor proven that earned Ray’s continued interest in me. The only problem is that I didn’t know what else to say; after all, I was nobody.

While I spoke in generalities to buy some time, my mind searched for the right thing to say, something to distract him from my inexperience. Then they hit me – words from one of the most important people in my life: my grandmother.

One day, a girl I was dating at the time decided to remind me that I was doing nothing with my life, a rather accurate observation, yes, but one that my grandmother didn’t appreciate. “Leave him alone!” my grandmother shouted in my defense. “He’s going to do something. He’s going to be somebody.”

I never forgot those words; they were a lot to live up to coming from a person I adored. Even after 23 years of failing to fulfill her expectations, she never gave up on me – not even on her dying day.

After realizing that it was time to become the person my grandmother knew I could be, the rest of my interview with Ray came naturally.

I informed him that I would vacuum the carpet, mop the floor, dust the furniture and clean the bathrooms – whatever it took to get my foot in the door. “If you give me a chance,” I said at the conclusion of my interview, “you won’t regret it.”

Looking back, I recall Ray nodding his head in approval before assigning me my first story. It was all I could do to not skip out of the office, which would’ve looked quite odd for a man of my frame.

Understand that I had just taken my first step toward honoring my grandmother’s memory. I then made it a point to dedicate every story to her, and after mastering my craft thanks in large part to Ray and Armando Garza’s tutelage, I felt as though I had finally achieved something to warrant my grandmother’s confidence in me.

Nine years later, I find myself walking into the office reinvigorated by the smell of ink and newsprint and reminding myself that I got here because God granted me the ability to find the dedication necessary to succeed, and because my grandmother believed in me.

Everything else occurring around me, no matter how dire or difficult, seems manageable. Breaking a big story remains common, addressing concerns has become routine. Challenging myself to grow beyond my capabilities, however, is my central focus.

On Thursday, someone asked me how I sniff out the big news. This story was my response. There’s no big secret behind what we do here. It just takes a little heart and soul.