It was in discussion with a political VIP (in elected office in the past but still holding several important posts today) last week that she noted, mostly in jest and certainly accurately, that colleague Brian Trompeter and I were “the last dinosaurs” from the olden days of local media coverage across what has become known as the, cough, dee-em-veeeeeeeeeeeeee.
And yes, it is true. In fact, Jan. 2 will mark another anniversary of the day a much younger (but weren’t we all?) Scotty first showed up in the newsroom of the Northern Virginia Sun, then located in Dunn Loring, to serve as what was then a five-day-a week paper with a couple of ancillary weekly editions.
(To the eternal question “what made you get into the news biz and stay so long,” my stock answer is invariably: “Poor life choices.” I kid, of course …)
SPEAKING OF PEOPLE AROUND THE NEWS BIZ A LONG TIME: Not only did WRC-TV (Channel 4) recently say goodbye to the retiring Doreen Gentzler, but unique Pat Collins also has segued from employee to retiree there, as well.
Collins a few years ago wrote a book about his years in local journalism; I plopped down my $15 or so and bought it. Some interesting tales, but the narrative was a tad disjointed. But, as with his reporting style, that was kind of his shtick. Not being critical; it served him we lo these decades.
And while his style sometimes overshadowed the reporting, Collins definitely was an old-school reporter, particularly in covering crime. He had sources many of the younger crowd could only dream of accumulating.
– Scott McCaffrey