This week at SJI, we've been exposed to dozens of speakers and countless pieces of advice. Having tried to write down and retain all that information through the course of eight days can be challenging.
Everything, though, seems to lead back to one maxim: How much do you value your reputation?
Don't ask stupid questions and be known as the one who was unprepared. Don't make a mistake and be known as the one who was careless. Don't duck out of work early and be known as the one who did "just enough." Always press your "on" button.
That goes for our conduct both in and out the newsroom, both on and off the job. By extension, all the work we produce also reinforces our reputation — whether good or bad. David Ubben, a 2009 SJI grad and ESPN's Big 12 blogger, has told us over and over again that sports journalism is a small world. You never know who's watching.
“If you’re going to put something up with your name on it, make sure it’s right," St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bryan Burwell said Wednesday.
And that's the real kicker, isn't it? It's your name. As John Proctor said, "I cannot have another in my life."
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