Out journalist
Randy Lovely takes over as editor at the conservative
Arizona Republic and learns firsthand what it
means to be a novelty.
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.”
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