Anita Johnson, 92

Part-owner and publisher of the Eugene Weekly, an alternative weekly Eugene, OR First journalism job: I worked during the summer of 1946 as a high school student at The Coeur d’alene Press, the daily newspaper in Coeur d’alene, ID. What are some of the most important lessons you have learned working in the news industry?

Don’t mess with deadlines. Submit your story before the last minute. Ask the second question, which is probably the question your subject does not want to answer, so go after it. Do not talk down to your readers. They will recognize it immediately and will be offended. Be passionate about your work and have some fun doing it. What are your predictions for the future of news publishing?

A democracy cannot survive without a free press. I love print media, so I desperately want it to continue. Electronic media technology may squeeze print, but we know investigative reporting is critical, as is the publication of the news in some form. Unfortunately, the form is difficult to predict during this turbulent time.