It’s Lovely at the Top

Randy lovely is trying hard not to think about how many Weight Watchers points he just blew. Days before our interview he indulged in a newsroom potluck of chili and chicken wings. Still, it was worth it, particularly since it helped fuel a marathon work weekend of top-notch news coverage while the whole world was watching.

On February 1, 2008, Randy Lovely became the most powerful openly gay print journalist in the country when he was promoted to editor and vice president for news at The Arizona Republic in Phoenix. His first weekend as the big boss happened to fall on one of the most stressful weekends in the paper’s history, one with the potential to turn into a super mess. Phoenix was playing host to Super Bowl XLII, in which the New York Giants scored an eleventh-hour upset victory over the New England Patriots. Meanwhile, Arizona senator and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain campaigned feverishly in advance of Super Tuesday, when a record-setting 24 states would hold primaries and caucuses. And professional golf’s super-size FBR Open was teeing off in nearby Scottsdale.

For three years prior to his promotion, Lovely was executive editor at The Arizona Republic, ranked among the top 20 U.S. newspapers by daily circulation. (Its parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, owns 85 newspapers, including USA Today.) Lovely’s new position earned him not only a reserved parking spot but a coveted Monday-through-Friday schedule -- a rarity in the world of journalism.

While Lovely insists he’s always fought the tendency to become work-obsessed -- even his partner swears he checks his BlackBerry only twice a weekend and leaves it at home when they go on vacation -- that pressure-cooker debut weekend demanded something different. Lovely knew it was critical for him to be in the newsroom -- in charge and in person -- to oversee his staff, which he proudly says performed brilliantly. And by all accounts, so did he. Weathering the baptism by fire in stride, Lovely’s paper came out without a hitch.

“I know a moment will certainly come when I just stand there and say ‘Oh, shit,’ but fortunately that hasn’t happened yet,” says the 20-year veteran of journalism. “I’m decisive. You can’t be wishy-washy in this business.” And like any good leader, he knows the power of having strong backup. “I’m prepared as I can possibly be, but I also make sure I have a great team of editors around me,” Lovely says. “I feel very comfortable reaching out and asking their advice—the day of the autocratic editor is long gone.”