But then the Rocky closed in February, and, like a lot of journalists who've found themselves in that situation in the past few years, ME knew right away that he was not going to find another job as a Washington correspondent for another newspaper.
So ... he purchased one.
Seriously. Someone actually bought a newspaper. My friend, ME Sprengelmeyer still believes in the power of print.
This week ME Sprengelmeyer became the proud owner of The Guadalupe County Communicator in his home state of New Mexico.
Having worked as a journalist myself in New Mexico for seven years, I was especially eager to talk to ME about this endeavor. He allowed me to record our recent conversation, and to post it online.
From a pay telephone on Route 66 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, ME discussed the experience of being laid off, how one goes about purchasing a newspaper, and what he hopes to accomplish.
ME's first edition will be published later this week, so, as you might expect, his effort has captured the attention of many other writers. Today alone ME was featured at the blog of his former editor, John Temple, and he received a nice mention at Romenesko.
Best of luck, ME.
UPDATE: More observations about ME's endeavor at Fitz & Jen.
