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Gil Spencer dies at age 85

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by PHINJ, Jun 24, 2011.

  1. PHINJ

    PHINJ Active Member

    Pulitzer winner and beloved editor who left his mark in New York, Philadelphia, Trenton and Denver.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/nyregion/f-gilman-spencer-ny-daily-news-editor-in-the-80s-dies-at-85.html

    qualities severely lacking at the NYDN currently.
     
  2. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    Met him only once, in a social/newspapering setting, and he was far different than what I had envisioned, much more smooth with people, although profane enough in a joking way. I was hoping to extract some useful newspapering nuggets from the legend, but he was more interested in telling a few amusing stories. A friend who worked for Spencer's wife described them as "the nicest rich people I've ever met." If true, that's not a bad mark to leave.
     
  3. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    I read this man's obit in the Times yesterday. He was a high school dropout! OK, he was also from Swarthmore, Pa., meaning he came from money, but he went straight into newspapering as a copy boy after WW2 and rose through the ranks because he was good at it. Here is someone (whom I never knew) who was a phenomenal success at this business, and he wouldn't have been able to enter it for about the last 40 years. It's a little story of how credentialism has replaced the idea of apprenticeship in our society. Of course, there's nobody left in newspapers to train apprentices.
     
  4. SF_Express

    SF_Express Active Member

    Not nitpicking, Mike, because you're generally right, but I personally know at least one Big Time Metro Sports Columnist who at least never graduated from college (didn't come that close, actually) and moved up from the smallest paper you could think of to his current job. It doesn't happen much anymore, but it still has happened.
     
  5. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    I am happy to hear that story.
     
  6. Frank_Ridgeway

    Frank_Ridgeway Well-Known Member

    Well-written tribute by someone who knew him well:

    http://blog.nj.com/njv_fran_wood/2011/06/farewell_to_a_friend.html
     
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