One last story — actually, two — before I go

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2022 (1351 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I once watched a colleague stand up in a newsroom on his last day of work and address his soon-to-be-former co-workers.

He imparted his decades of wisdom and told them how they should do their jobs and what principles they should uphold while he was enjoying retirement. Listening to him I made a solemn vow: never tell people what to do if they’re staying and you’re going.

So, I won’t. I am leaving my post as publisher. Rather than preaching, I’ll leave you with a story — the core of all good journalism.

Actually, I have two stories. Both are about coming to the Winnipeg Free Press, once as a reporter and once as a senior manager. Both stories start with me asleep.

In December of 1983 I was taking a late afternoon nap before going to cover an evening meeting of the local town council in Cobourg, Ont., for the Cobourg Star.

The phone rang — and rang. Eventually I picked up the receiver. “Hello,” I mumbled.

A guy on the other end of the line started talking right away: “I’m Dave Lee, city editor of the Winnipeg Free Press. I’d like to offer you a job.”

“Huh?” I replied. I thought it was a practical joke and almost hung up. I’d never heard of the guy. I’d never applied for the job. How’d he even get my number?

It’s a good thing I wanted to find out who was playing the joke. I kept talking. Turns out it really was Dave Lee and the job offer was real. I arrived on Jan. 19, 1984. It was -29C. I spent four years as a young reporter for the Free Press, having the time of my life learning to be a good journalist.

The second time I came to the Free Press really was the result of a practical joke.

The phone rang at my Toronto home early one Saturday morning in January 2005. I was fast asleep, having been up past midnight helping to put out the Saturday edition of the Globe and Mail.

My wife called me to the phone. “Hello,” I mumbled.

“I’m calling from FP Canadian Newspapers,” a man said. “We’d like you to apply to be editor of the Winnipeg Free Press.”

“Huh?” I replied. As I mumbled and grunted, the fog in my brain started to clear. I remembered that I had heard that editor Nick Hirst was no longer at the paper. I decided that I had better pay attention.

Then, as the caller continued talking, I woke up even more. Why would anyone call me at home on a Saturday morning about a job? How did anyone at FP Newspapers even know me? Where would they get my home phone number?

I started to ask questions. After a bit, loud laughter erupted from the other end of the line.

My friends Tony and Kathi had been reading the Free Press at their kitchen table in Charleswood, had seen an ad for the editor’s job, and had decided to pull a prank on me.

They had me fooled, that’s for certain.

But I got the last laugh.

A couple of months later I called them. “Can I stay at your place?” I asked Tony. “Ummm, why?” he replied hesitantly, probably thinking I was trying to get him back.

“Well, you know that job you fake offered me? I applied for it and got it…”

Since then, I have spent 17 more years at the paper, first as editor and later as publisher.

I have woken up twice to Winnipeg and the opportunities here. They turned out to be the best jobs I have ever had.

I owe thanks to many people — including the late Dave Lee, all of the people I have worked with here since that time and current majority owners Ron Stern and Bob Silver, who had confidence in me to lead this organization.

Mostly, I want to thank all of you, Free Press readers, whose support makes the Winnipeg Free Press one of Canada’s best newspapers.

Bob Cox is the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press.