My First Job ...

Karla Garrett Harshaw, editor, Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun, and senior editor, Cox Community Newspapers

Karla Garrett Harshaw

I always tell students to get experience as early as possible. That opportunity came to me when I persuaded my middle school language arts teacher to allow me to write for her black community paper. One thing led to another. I wrote for a local magazine, and in my sophomore year in high school, I was hired on a summer program to work for the Dayton Daily News. That summer pilot project became a long-time job for me. I became a stringer, intern and eventually a full-time reporter.

I never went away. Now, I am editor of the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun and senior editor for Cox Community Newspapers. Dayton was a Cox paper, too. I value the experience that I received during high school and college. It allowed me to meet people in the industry, get on-the-job training and further my passion for journalism.

My First Job archive

Ronnie Agnew, executive editor, The Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Miss.

Caesar Andrews, editor, Gannett News Service, Washington, D.C.

George Benge, news executive, Gannett Co., Inc.

Peter Bhatia, executive editor, The Oregonian, Portland

Michael Chihak, publisher and editor, Tucson (Ariz.) Citizen

Bill Church, executive editor, Star-Gazette, Elmira, N.Y.

Don Flores, executive vice president and editor, El Paso (Texas) Times

Karla Garrett Harshaw, editor, Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun, and senior editor, Cox Community Newspapers

Bennie Ivory, executive editor, The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.

Sherrie Marshall, executive editor, The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph

E.J. Mitchell, managing editor, The Detroit News

Ricardo Pimentel, columnist, The Arizona Republic, Phoenix

Africa Price, managing editor, The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun

John Quinn, senior advisory trustee, Freedom Forum

Mark Russell, assistant managing editor, The Plain Dealer, Cleveland