Bruce Behymer, 53

Minority owner and marketing dude, Harvey County Now Newton, Kan. First journalism job: Advertising executive

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned while working in the news industry?

The news industry can be a harsh and cruel mistress. She doesn’t care about you or your time. She’s always churning. She’ll boost your ego with an award for something you have written or an ad you created. Then that same day she’ll kick you in the stomach by pointing to your prized piece sitting in a trash at the local diner covered in bacon grease and coffee grounds. With all her brutality, she has a soft side. She’ll bestow upon you a chance to photograph a group of happy kids earning their first dollar at a lemonade stand or an interview with local heroes. If you do crawl in bed with her, respect her, stay humble, learn balance and escape from her when you can to your favorite watering hole for an ice cold beer.

No matter how hot the story or how beautiful the ad, once the ink hits the paper, your job is done and out of your control. Move on.

Life is hard, beers spill, typos happen and ad deals fall through. If you accept this, just do your damnedest and detach from all outcomes, life will move a lot smoother.

What are your predictions for where journalism is heading?

Even though social media, hedge funds and the ugly greed of corporate America has caused havoc, sadness and chaos in the world of journalism, fear not. As long as there are humans on the earth with stories to tell, newspapers will exist. And if they are locally owned newspapers without hedge funds, shareholders or corporate philistines sticking their noses in where they don’t belong they will even grow and prosper.

You watch.