Thursday, February 5, 2009

McLoone: "Do Something You Really Like."

I'M INTERESTED IN your thoughts about today's speaker, Pat McLoone, the managing editor of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Here are a few things that stood out for me:

- Every day is a constant battle between what's going to sell and what's most important.
- You can be a fan but you must always remain objective.
- He wouldn't have allowed Larry Fitzgerald to cover his son.
- There is a liberal bias in the media.
- Sportswriters craft their stories during the game and send them to the editors almost immediately after the game ends.
- Drive, hard work and integrity are the keys to success.
- Offer to do the dirty work as a young reporter. It'll give you the foundation for your future work and it will endear you to the editors.

What stood out for you?

(the photo is via flickr)

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

I really like Pat Mcloone's presentation. It may have been informal. But he let us ask questions and answered them with his best ability. He was honest about the business and shared stories that gave the class insight on how to start. What stood out for me was the last story. About the murder and photography. And how a certain picture of the same event may change the way people look at your newspaper.

-Cynthia Gallegos

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed Pat's presentation. I was worried it might not interest me given the fact that I don't know a whole lot about sports and do not aspire to sports journalism. But the best teachers are people who've had a lot experience, and I feel I learned a great deal about this business and the media just from his few stories and answers to questions.
And it actually made me want to read the Daily News more often (I'm partial to the Inquirer because it's what I grew up with as THEE Philadelphia newspaper).

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed listening to Pat McLoone speak today. I was really inspired by his speech about how being an honest, nice, down to earth person will help you go far in the business and I also enjoyed the fact that he told us that he didn't necessarily make a ton of money in his career but he loves what he does and thats what's most important. I thought he was a really cool, funny guy who a lot of insight on the profession.

Anonymous said...

I thought Pat was awesome! He kept us engaged by telling his stories, but he was able to drive home some great points. I thought it was so interesting that he is a conservative. I'm sure that's something he must struggle with, or at least struggled with when he first started out. He is someone I would love to sit down with one-on-one and just pick his brain about everythig he knows and everything he has learned. Great speaker!

Anonymous said...

I really liked listening to Pat McLoone speak today during class. I thought his insights were interesting, being that he deals with the issues that we talk about everyday in class, on a regular basis. It gave me a new perspective on working in the newspaper business and also really made me think about what I want to do with my career. I hope we have more speakers like him throughout the semester.

-Kelly Lagreca

Anonymous said...

I found Pat McLoone to be very interesting and entertaining. He was brutally honest with every answer he gave and had meaning to every story he told. His passion for his work and his profession and his respect for his colleagues was especially obvious when he told the story of one of his colleagues getting murdered and said he wouldn't have hired the woman who sold those photographs to do anything for his newspaper.

-Dominique Hildebrand

Anonymous said...

Pat's presentation was fun, it was interesting looking into the more sports oriented world of journalism. He nailed the feeling of Philadelphia after the World Series and Obama's win. I really liked his tangential approach to presentation; it makes for a better show.

Anonymous said...

This guy was awesome. Seriously, George, great choice. Loved his stories, as well as his knowledge in regard to cheese steaks. I actually took notes!!!

Sherae said...

He was funny, interesting, and informative. I thought, "wow I just hope I love my career as much as he seems to enjoy his." Pat Mcloone's stories, career, and advice, is truely inspirational. I would love to visit him @ the daily news.

Anonymous said...

I liked Pat's presentation. It was interesting to hear from someone who absolutely loves their job. However; I would have liked it if he had talked even just a little bit, about possible internship opportunities. He spent so much time on sports that he totally didn't think about bringing the subject up. Because I had to leave right after class, I didn't even have a chance to ask him about internships, so it would have been nice if he had brought it up in his presentation. Otherwise, I thought his presentation was pretty good and interesting.

AVERLANCHE said...

You know, I never personally gave a damn about sports news. I'm not a huge sports fan, I really only catch it when it's on or to socialize with my roommates, or when it's particularly hot, but I never give it much thought. Pat McLoone told a hell of a lot of stories that got me interested in what he does. He showed me that sports news is way more than talking offensive strategies and drafting players for next season's hopes. I love a person who loves their job, nothing makes me more hopeful toward my future, and Pat is exactly that type. I'm extremely happy he stopped by to talk to us and answer our questions, and equally surprised in a very pleasant way.

-Adam Teterus

Anonymous said...

I absolutely loved Pat. Not only because of his honest answers, and his love for the sports in Philadelphia, but because he inspired me to do what I dream, as long as I have the drive and passion for it. I would LOVE to do Sports Journalism, either writing or broadcasting, and he helped settled that decision for me. His words were encouraging, and his stories were endless.

- Jamie Hunsberger
(J1111 class)

Tori G. said...

Mr. McLoone was a very interesting speaker. Although I am not interested in sports that much, he did tell interesting stories, and did put a perspective on the news world that many of us do not have. His advice is definitely worth thinking about if you are pursuing your career in the journalism world. I had hoped he would have talked a little more about the newspaper world, but I understand with limited time he can only provide so much information. I wish to thank him for taking time out of his schedule to talk with us.

-Victoria Greco

Anonymous said...

Pat was the man today and I enjoyed his story about Scott Rolen whining about his knees. He also had me thinking about Philly and the tight knit neighborhoods. He's so local that St. Joe's was too far from home.

Anonymous said...

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. McLoone’s guest appearance in our class. I liked the fact that he did not preach or try to lecture us on anything, but that he actually seemed to enjoy standing in front of us and just speaking his mind. He seems like the type of gentlemen that would be great to have at a Thanksgiving dinner table, with his wide variety of stories. I look forward to all future guest speakers, especially if they are in the sports industry. It was cool that I recognized and have read all the journalists he mentioned.
-Jeff McDevitt

Anonymous said...

I must say, the bit that really stood out for me was just how he approached everything. He didn't try to sugarcoat anything, he told us exactly how it's like, (i.e. the long, crazy hours), and comments like that really prove how honest he is. Also, the fact that he loves what he does and encourages us to do the same really shows that a good career is based off of what you enjoy rather than the money you make.

Anonymous said...

I appreciated Mr. McLoone's candor regarding what it's like to be in the news business. He did a good job making his presentation useful for all of us even when he was talking about sports journalism. I'd love to debate with him about the liberal bias in the media. I'm sure it would be an interesting argument on both sides. Although I'd probably have to pull out the Stephen Colbert quote: "Reality has a well known liberal bias."

Geo said...

You want to debate him? As in, you think that there is not a liberal bias?

- George (the teacher who is genuinely curious)

Anonymous said...

I think I'm the first person to feel this way, but I personally felt Pat talked a lot yet said very little. I found his presentation boring.

Geo said...

That's cool. You are always allowed to have your opinions. For real.

But make it constructive - what did you want to learn? What kind of stuff did you want to hear about?

Seriously, the more you explain, the better I can make the future presentations.

- George (the teacher who works for you)

Anonymous said...

i really enjoyed the Pat's presentation, he really gave us so much information about the sports news. as a viewers i always thought that sports news are very boring to read but after listening to him i changed my mind and i am personally thinking to work as a sports reporter.

Trendsetter TU said...

I really liked listening to Mr. McLoone. Originally, I thought he would be speaking mostly on writing about sports, which I'm not interested in. However, he took that and related it to all sections. I liked hearing about how one photo can completely alter a publication's reputation. His personal stories about the Eagles and which athletes are the best to talk to was also interesting. It was like getting honest advice from a peer, not an employee who wants to recruit reporters.

Anonymous said...

I thought that the presentation was interesting. It was good that he was not boring at all, and kept me awake. Before the presentation I really had no idea about what sports writers do, but after it feels like I got an inside look on the career. I liked how he said that it is very important to find a career that you are passionate about, I agree with that statement 100%.

-Kurt Mauro-

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed listening to Pat McLoone speak in Thursday’s class. I was really inspired by his speech. The part that really had me thinking about my future was when he said "Drive, hard work and integrity are the keys to success." As an athlete for Temple University, I get to hear speeches like that all the time, but they never get old. When you have people from different branches defining the meaning of success and they all come out to be the same, just different words, they must be true and great. Thank you, Pat McLoone for extending my knowledge of success.


A.K 56

Anonymous said...

It was great to have Pat McLoone speak to our class on Thursday. Not only because he's an editor of a major Philly newspaper but because he's Philly bred. I find an interesting comfort in that.
- Alessandra

Anonymous said...

Well, it seems as if I'm a little bit late on this one, but I'd generally agree with most of the things others have already said. I enjoyed Pat as a speaker; he had a very real, tangible love for his job, and this came across clearly and vividly. It is one thing to stand in front of an audience and spout figures, and it is another to bring character and personal experiences to the table, which I thought Pat did very nicely. Kudos on bringing him in as a guest speaker.

-Michael Gaudini

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed listening to Pat speak. He portrayed very clearly that he had a general love for what he did and how important that was to him. I liked listening to him talk about his different experiences he has encountered over his career. I also liked how comfortable he was speaking with us, it really showed how confident he was with his job in the way he spoke.

Mike Mastrangelo said...

I thought Pat was extremely knowledgeable and interesting at the same time. I am looking forward to sitting down with him and picking his brain. I agree with George that it was interesting that he is extremely conservative and mentioned that he is fully aware of the libral bias that exists in the media. I am a conservative as well, and at times I struggle with this bias as well. Pat presented himself as confident and came off as a great down to earth guy with was refreshing because some of the writers I read at the Daily News and watch on Daily news Live come off as rather cocky and full of themselves. I am not a member of the J111 class that Pat came to talk to so I would like to thank George for inviting me.

Unknown said...

Mr. McLoone's assertion that there is a liberal bias in the media, citing the the political views of most of the people in newsrooms as an example, was interesting and I would have liked to hear more about it from him. Personally I disagree, I think that there is a bias and it goes in the opposite direction; I would have liked to hear him expand on his perspective, as someone with years of experience at a major publication. He also spoke really honestly and clearly, I thought, about the business differences between the Inquirer and the Daily News, and how that affects what stories they cover and what audience they serve. For me, that was the most informative part of his talk.----Peter Hayakawa T R 1:10-2:30

Moet P said...

I really enjoyed Pat McLoone coming to speak. The reason I enjoyed it was because he seemed very personable. He didn't seem to be reading us a script. Mr. McLoone spoke from personal experiences and gave us straight up answers. Overall, I liked him coming to class.

Anonymous said...

I thought Pat McLoone was awesome. I don't really know too much about sports or writing about them but he made it seem like such a fun thing to do. I especially liked that he loved his job so much, even though he didn't get the biggest paycheck. He really kept my attention and I'm happy I got to see him and listen to his thoughts.

-Jess Kairis

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed what Mr. McLoone coming in and sharing his stories. I liked how he stood by the old saying that if you love what you do it does not matter how much you make. The stories that he had were great and attention grabbing. His answers were straigtforward and not sugar coated about the real working world. I think he was a great guest speaker.

~Brett Snell

Anonymous said...

I really valued his insight into the best place for cheesesteaks.

- Jess Dunford

Anonymous said...

It was really nice to have Pat McLoone here. He was engaging, funny, and I enjoyed listening to him answer questions. Honestly, I just started watching sports a couple months ago and never really considered myself a "sports person," so I was afraid that I might not follow the discussion or get bored easily, but that wasn't the case. It was great to hear from someone who really enjoys what their doing. I hope that thirty years from now, I can look back and feel great about my job.

Unknown said...

I thought Pat McLoone was great. I live in Northeast Philadelphia and I love how he is so proud of where he is from, because I am also the same way. And the presentation, although maybe a bit informal, was really enjoyable because he talked to us on such an easy going and personal level. And personally, I think Fresh Works in Mayfair has the best cheesesteaks, just my opinion. But definitely a great presentation; I'd listen to a lecture with him again without a doubt.

-Brigid Scanlan

Anonymous said...

I could feel Pat's enthusiasm about his work and about his love for this city's sports. He stood out with his passion with every story he told us no matter if it was about his book or where the best cheesesteak can be found (by the way he was wrong, Pat's and Geno's are the best!).

Anonymous said...

I do keep up with sports and it was really nice to hear someone that is in field come in and speak on it. Despite having a passion for sports my favorite story of his was the one with the murder and the extent people go to in order to a "good" shot.

PS Jim's have the best steaks

Anonymous said...

Pat definitely has a Philadelphia soul. It is comforting to know people in higher rankings at newspapers are local. I hear many stories of people going from city to city for work, but he made his career here. That is inspiring.

Amanda DiStefano
(current Journalism and Society student)

Anonymous said...

Pat McLoone was an interesting and honest about his work. I really enjoyed his candid nature and the reality that every job had its pros and its cons and the type of individual that is best suited for the specific topic that he helplessly veired from. I'm not sure it would convince me to pick a career in sports writing, but it made for interesting Q&A session.