WRITING a farewell column after 36 years is always fraught with danger - even more so when the career change has a political edge.
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It is often difficult to explain to non-journalists how The Examiner newsroom works and he level of trust on so many levels.
The conspiracy theorists always overestimate the influence of the editor and somehow think that every journalist is browbeaten into writing stories with a particular political bent just to please the editor.
Nothing could be further from reality.
In fact, right from my first editor Michael Courtney and first chief of staff Lloyd Whish-Wilson, encouraging a variety of opinions has underpinned the integrity of The Examiner.
The bottom line with news stories is accuracy and balance and if we make a mistake, correct it as quickly as possible.
Nothing has changed in my 36 years. Editorials and columns are different and should be provocative, but news is news.
The Examiner has always been the most politically engaged newspaper in Tasmania and the fact that it has stood up for Tasmania, and the interests of Northern Tasmania, for decades is undervalued by the handful of critics.
What has changed is people, especially from minority groups, insisting on freedom of speech but then publicly hating you if you don't share their point of view.
By far the most divisive and polarising issue during my time has been the proposed pulp mill at Long Reach - nearly a decade of debate. The irony is that we have now come the full circle in Tasmania where we are back to exporting woodchips again and sending downstream processing jobs overseas.
I look back with fondness about many stories and trips, like spending three weeks with photographer Will Swan in Sydney covering the 2000 Olympics - the absolute dream assignment.
Ghosting columns for my sports heroes like David Boon and Ricky Ponting was a privilege.
Likewise, I loved the success and also confusion surrounding champion cyclist Mathew Gilmore who won a silver medal in Sydney.
Upon returning from Sydney, I was bailed up by the wife of a prominent politician who commended me on my stories but added, "I just don't know how you found the time to train and also win a silver medal!"
Being chief of staff during the Beaconsfield mine disaster was an absolute eye opener with the focus of the world's media on Northern Tasmania.
And I learned first-hand about The Examiner's level of influence when former editor Rod Scott gave me the green light for a campaign to badger the late Premier Jim Bacon to get funding for the redevelopment of York Park into Aurora Stadium, which ultimately led to Hawthorn's games in the city.
Perhaps the greatest changes have been in workplace culture and health and safety issues.
One of the most common induction rituals was to send the copy boy (a position that no longer exists but was mine in 1978) to pick up a parcel at an address in Brisbane Street that you couldn't find because it was a laneway.
The early newsrooms were an engulfing clatter of typewriters, a pall of cigarette smoke and the treat of dim sims and stubbies of beer on Saturday nights.
We even had an annual Christmas in-house newspaper that made fun of everyone in the department.
They would probably rate as acts of workplace bullying now, along with having a typewriter thrown at you for a poor story - where's all the fun gone?
One thing that hasn't changed is the quality and camaraderie of staff that we have been able to recruit because of The Examiner's standing in the Australian media.
They are just as keen and dedicated and talented as 20 or 30 years ago and they are also multi-skilled across print, digital and social media.
The absolute highlight was The Examiner's win in 2012 as Newspaper of the Year for the Australian-Pacific region. It was recognition for the hundreds of people in every department who produce The Examiner every day.
It is a wrench to leave The Examiner "family" after 36 years but they are a great team of professionals and in good hands.
Anyway, you know you've been in a company for a long time when you clean out your desk and find an actual $2 note hidden at the back of the second drawer.
So, goodbye from the 13th editor of The Examiner and, some free advice for the 14th editor - story placement and headlines on the front page may seem vitally important . . . but stuff up the crossword clues at your absolute peril.