Leanne Smith, MLive’s editor at The Ann Arbor News, is retiring Dec. 27, ending a career spanning 40 years.
Longevity in the news business isn't the norm. People change jobs, leave the industry or, unfortunately, have lost jobs as we transitioned from traditional print to the internet era. But Leanne, and I'm going to use her first name because that's how well I know her, has stayed and we at MLive are so grateful she did.
She and I go way back, all the way to 1988. I was an education reporter at The Jackson Citizen Patriot when she and her husband, Michael, both were hired to the paper’s sports desk.
Leanne was the only woman in sports, but she noted there were strong women throughout the newsroom, including in editor roles, and she felt supported by colleagues.
“The standards were very high, but it was a nurturing environment,” she said. “It was a good place to learn.”
Leanne left the paper in 1993 to accommodate her husband’s job change. But she was back in Michigan by 2000, working at the Cit Pat, and then The Ann Arbor News, then back to the Cit Pat and finally at MLive when the eight papers merged in 2012.
What she learned in several reporting roles at those papers was that she loved the community aspects of the job.
“I liked writing, I liked my sources, I liked talking to people, I liked being out there.”
Leanne adapted every step of the way, not only from paper to paper but to a dramatically changing industry. She is one of several MLivers who have transitioned from the print to digital world.
“We’ve gone from one deadline a day to a deadline every hour, every minute,” Leanne said. “The pace is entirely different. The mission hasn’t changed, just the delivery. We’re still the watchdogs of local governments and schools and police departments.”
In recent years, Leanne moved into management, somewhat reluctantly. But just as she was a great reporter, she quickly learned how to coach reporters into better writers. She was conducting a “how to write tight” seminar on her last day in the office.
“It’s gratifying when it ‘clicks’ with them,” she said. “They’re very proud of the work they do and conscientious about what they are doing. You can’t rattle this group of people – when we change something, they just adapt.”
While Leanne has had several “return acts” in Jackson and Ann Arbor over the years, she says this time she is passing the torch. She and her husband have renovated a family farm near Barryton where they grow grapes. They also enjoy a nice glass of wine, often from the grapes they grow.
She won’t miss the 24-hour news cycle, she said, but she’ll miss the people and the calling, and she leaves with an appreciation of the eras her career spanned.
“I feel fortunate that I came in when I did and to have experienced both sides of it,” she said. “I’ve done what a lot of people didn’t do and made the transition. I’m grateful for that.”
And so am I. Thank you, Leanne, for all you’ve done for our company, your employees and our communities. I’m glad our paths crossed as they did and wish you the best in retirement.
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