A few years ago at Washington State University in Pullman, a student asked a panel of journalists how he could have a “long career” in our profession.

We’ve all been reading about the millions and billions of dollars that local, state and federal governments have slashed from their budgets, but I suspect most of us can’t recall too many specifics of the program cuts.

This week marked 35 years at the Herald for me, the last 20 of them as its top editor.

The past couple weeks I’ve been researching Tri-City history from 1940-1969 and writing chapter introductions for the Herald’s next photo book, Tri-Cities Memories II, which will come out in late October or early November.

As long as the nation’s economy continues to struggle, newspapers will be pinched as well, for they almost always slide into an economic downturn before the rest of the economy and trail the economy during a recovery.

June has come and gone 45 times since I walked out of Helena High School for the final time in 1966.

While all the world was focused on the U.S. raid in Pakistan in which Osama bin Laden was killed on May 1, a rather quiet and routine event — and far more important in the long run— happened much closer to U.S. soil.

A Tri-City man has restored a car designed and built by Rolla Vollstedt of Portland and had been driven by the late Jimmy Clark, an Indy 500 winner recognized as one of the three greatest Grand Prix drivers ever.

This ended up being an awfully long two-year stint in a career I never planned.

May marks an important anniversary for the Tri-City Herald.

As a newspaper editor, I long ago learned to expect criticism, often for being a member of the “liberal media.”

Reading an old book with new times in mind has once again offered a keen reminder of the value of history.

There’s a term in the news business called “parachute journalism.”

One of the most common complaints newspaper editors deal with is that we focus too much or too little on certain stories.

What was the Utah Legislature thinking?

Sunday’s Herald will contain the 2011 installment of the perennially popular “What People Earn” survey conducted annually by Parade magazine.

Folks who are thinking Congress might be able to cure our national budget ills might want to rethink any sense of optimism they’ve let creep into the space they usually reserve for skepticism.

Did it seem like something was missing when you made your latest trip to the post office?

With the Legislature back in session, it’s time once again for politicians to consider tinkering with the state’s Public Records Law.

Though it’s been nearly 17 years since Snow Falling on Cedars was published, the award-winning book’s power to spark controversy remains strong.

Three days into the Herald’s changes to our comics lineup, the number of readers who have called, e-mailed or written to protest or suggest changes totals seven.

Starting Monday, the Herald will add two new comic strips to our daily lineup.

How dumb are Washington state voters?

Newspapers, especially in smaller communities, are doggedly hanging onto the attention of their readers, according to a report released late last month.

Bob McGiffert and I both arrived on the University of Montana campus in the fall of 1966.

My family is ending a 30-year tradition this Christmas.

Dear student:

The rising wind coming off the mountain’s shoulder had an edge as keen as a well-honed knife.

I found it disconcerting the past couple weeks as I watched the unfolding circus of Keith Olbermann’s latest transgressions against some long-held journalistic values.

Tidbits of information about more than 400 veterans with ties to the Tri-Cities flooded into the Herald’s offices after we asked our readers to send us photos and brief stories about the men and women in their families who have served their country.

Newspaper editors acquire a lot of jobs that aren’t in their job descriptions, unless of course you count that unwritten assumption of every job: “... and other duties as assigned.”

The media watchers who were wondering how long newspapers would last have been asking the wrong question.

I think by now I’m supposed to be dead.

A couple of Herald readers in Waitsburg sent me an e-mail this week wondering who foots the bill for the campaign trips of President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Tuesday was a great day for kids in the Tri-Cities.

One of the best parts of being the Tri-City Herald's editor is that since 1995 I've helped oversee the endowed scholarship that the Herald has offered to students attending Washington State University.

RICHLAND — How much of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s work is focused on Hanford?

With Aug. 15 marking the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, it’s also worth noting the passing of “Piper Bill” Millin, the Scottish bagpiper famous for piping his comrades ashore on D-Day and into the hell that was Sword Beach on June 6, 1944.

In a year when money is tight almost everywhere in the world, some French researchers have announced they spent perfectly good Euros to find out the best way to pour Champagne.

So, was the federal $787 billion stimulus package a budget-buster that frittered away money on make-work projects and ensured your grandkids will spend their lives up to their necks in federal debt?

Perhaps the best part of a newspaper job is that every day seems to bring a new experience.

What writer could resist an invitation like this?

Spending 2 1/2 days at the Portland International Piano Festival earlier this week reinforced two observations about 21st century Americans:

Even after I started working as a reporter covering cops and courts, there was a time when I thought domestic violence only happened to people I didn’t know.

Well, today marks the start of the weekend that plenty of our dogs will spend under the bed.

Most of us can easily recall the good advice our fathers gave us as we grew up. Even if we didn’t always take it.

One of the best resources an editor can hope to have is a set of engaged readers who are not reluctant to second-guess that editor’s decisions.

Larry King Live has continued its descent toward becoming Larry King Dead in the latest Nielsen ratings.

While our nation pauses over this long Memorial Day weekend to remember its veterans, we may want to think a little bit about South Korea as well.

A year ago, lots of folks were predicting the imminent death of an array of our nation’s newspapers. And things did look grim.