1985: My first computer

March 1985 was a milestone: The month I got my first computer.

Inspired after seeing an original 1984 128K Macintosh at my friend Mike Gold’s Evanston home, I took advantage of Apple’s innovative “Test Drive a Mac” program—under which computer shops such as Oak Park’s BIES* Systems (an advertiser with my then-employer, WXRT-FM) invited you to take a Mac home for a brief trial run.

That trial run was just long enough for me to fall in love with a device so underpowered that it wouldn’t do a thing until you inserted a 400K floppy disk containing the operating system and (if you were miserly with your storage) an application or three.

I considered some of the other non-graphic-user-interface computers on the market in 1984, but the words of BIES’ Dave Leonard stick with me today: “If you buy a Macintosh, you’re buying the future.”

And, indeed, I bought myself a fine future that month—for the equivalent of about $7,000 in 2025 money (plus another inflation-adjusted $2,000 for the dot-matrix Imagewriter printer.)

1985 being my final year of non-parenthood, I took a whole week of vacation just to play with the thing—learning the niceties of computer keyboards vs. traditional typewriters; the art of find-and-replace (Was it case-sensitive? Did spaces and punctuation count?) and copy-and-paste (Did it include a trailing space or not?); how to change fonts and styles; and how to type extended characters like ellipses, em dashes and curly quotes. Also: The astonishing MacPaint.

Within weeks, I was using that Mac to compose the first of a memorable series of columns for Gold’s First Comics. And within a year and a half, I persuaded my colleagues at WXRT News to move from IBM Selectric typewriters to a Mac. The ability to fix mistakes without having to backspace and X out long passages, and to rearrange paragraphs without relying on scissors and transparent adhesive tape, was transformative. Compare the mess of my typewritten 1986 scripts …

… to the much-cleaner work composed on a Mac beginning in January 1987.

Meanwhile, the children began arriving. Some of their earliest memories—or at least some of my earliest memories of them—have them on my lap, watching letters and pictures appear on that tiny, 9-inch black-and-white screen. The first words they could read included “Save” and “Quit.” (And, later, two of our three sons would take jobs out of college working for the Apple Store; another majored in computer science.)

So essential did computers become for me that, when I left ’XRT to join fledgling “smooth jazz” station WNUA-FM as its news director in 1989, I insisted the newsroom get a Mac.

And the rise of personal computers—and, in the years that followed, the World Wide Web—became a recurring focus for my work at WNUA, where I interviewed …

■  …photographer Rick Smolan about his book 24 Hours in Cyberspace …

■ … author William Gibson, who coined the phrase cyberspace …

■ … humorist Dave Barry, who shared “computer-buying advice for cyberstuds” …

■ … tech reporter Kara Swisher, then documenting The War for the Web …

■ … journalists Michelle Slatalla and Joshua Quittner, who’d tracked The Gang That Ruled Cyberspace …

■ … and interim Apple CEO Gil Amelio, considered by some “the man who really saved Apple.”

Not to mention the station’s groundbreaking embrace of …

■ … digital audio editing, where I developed innovative production techniques I’d share beginning in 2013 with our team at the pioneering Rivet news and podcast production firm …

■ … and email, via which WNUA may have been the first Chicago station to offer listeners news alerts.

All of that set the stage for what may have been the biggest pivot of my career: When WNUA eliminated its news department in 1998, I fully embraced computers and the web, teaching myself HTML before joining the Chicago Tribune to launch its email newsletters and help program its pioneering breaking-news website.

Would any of that have happened had I not bought that first (of many, many to follow) Mac?

Maybe. But that fateful purchase in March 1985 indisputably positioned me well for what was to come. Which is why I can’t bring myself to part with it.

* Business, Industrial, Educational and Scientific.

(Photos: Promo materials from that first test-drive and purchase; and the box still containing that 128K Mac.)

How the worst day of my young adult life … turned out great

Every fall, the Farther Foundation—a nonprofit devoted to providing global travel opportunities for students from families and communities that have faced chronic disinvestment and sustained inequity—hosts a Story Slam at the historic FitzGerald’s Night Club in Berwyn. I was honored to be invited to take the stage in 2023 but—as you’re about to learn—couldn’t make it.

The foundation nevertheless invited me back the next year. And—given its belief in the life-changing power of travel—well, I couldn’t resist sharing the story of how one particular seemingly ill-fated trip changed my life absolutely for the better. Here’s how it sounded, Oct. 10, 2024.

If you enjoyed this story—or even if you didn’t—consider making a tax-deductible contribution at fartherfoundation.org/donate.

If you’re not in a place where you can listen, here’s a transcript.

‘ I’ve really only had one idea through my whole career.’

The existence of my daily email newsletter, Chicago Public Square, became public Jan. 27, 2017, during a visit to my alma mater, WGN Radio.

So it seems appropriate, eight years later to the day, to share audio from another interview on WGN—earlier this month, at 10 p.m., Jan. 4, 2025—joining two people I’ve known for (wow) close to half a century: Steve King and Johnnie Putman. Johnnie and I met at my first job out of college, news director at WMRO-AM and WAUR-FM in Aurora—where I designed this T-shirt:

(2017 photo)

It was a privilege to take Johnnie and Steve’s questions about Square, my journalism career and the state of the news biz. You can hear how it went here.

If you’d like to hear their full show from that night, with other guests to follow, you’ll find that on WGN’s website here.

Or if you’re the readin’ type, here’s a rough—and roughly edited—transcript:

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From dorm broadcasting to the digital frontier: A journalist’s journey

I can trace the origin of my broadcasting career back to Aug. 24, 1973—early in my first year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, when a tradition known as Quad Day gave campus student organizations a chance to introduce themselves.

In particular, I got to know student radio station WPGU—a story I shared in some detail with a speech to the University of Illinois Library team on the occasion of Homecoming weekend, Oct. 14, 2022.

To mark the 50th anniversary of that life-changing encounter, here’s video and a rough transcript of those remarks.

Charlie Meyerson …

… has delivered award-winning Chicago-area news for a long time—including more than 10 years at the city’s legendary progressive rock station, WXRT-FM 93.1; almost nine years at pioneering “smooth jazz” station WNUA-FM 95.5; almost 13 years at Tribune Co., as senior producer and Daywatch columnist at chicagotribune.com and then as news director at Chicago’s premier news/talk station, WGN-AM 720.

After a year as Chicago bureau chief for the short-lived (but fun) FM News Chicago and New York—covering government, politics, culture and technology—Meyerson became founding head of news at the digital audio startup Rivet, where he led the team to two national Edward R. Murrow Awards; adjunct professor of journalism at Roosevelt University; an occasional contributor to WXRT, WBEZ-FM 91.5 and Crain’s Chicago Business; and principal at Meyerson Strategy, a content strategy, podcasting and media consulting practice.

With his Rivet colleagues, he has been awarded a U.S. patent for delivering a “contextually relevant media content stream based on listener preference.

His latest project, Chicago Public Square, launched in January 2017, is a return to the newscasting biz—this time through an email-delivered news roundup billed as “Chicago’s new front page.”

You can hear some of his most memorable audio work—old and new—here, here and here.

Meyerson, winner of dozens of journalism awards—including a national Edward R. Murrow Award for audio investigative reporting and a national UPI award for investigative reporting—is not picking his nose in the photo above.

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Chronology

Jan. 27, 2025: ‘I’ve really only had one idea through my whole career.’

“It was a privilege to take … questions about … my journalism career and the state of the news biz.”

Aug. 24, 2023: ‘From dorm broadcasting to the digital frontier: A journalist’s journey.’

“I can trace the origin of my broadcasting career back to Aug. 24, 1973.”

April 27, 2023: ‘The products that Charlie Meyerson … can’t do without.’ (Simon Owens)

“Charlie walked us through the products that are absolutely essential to his business.”

March 2, 2022: ‘Best free daily roundup in your inbox.’ (Chicago Reader)

“Square is the culmination of Meyerson’s … career as a journalist.”

Oct. 29, 2020: ‘This newspaper veteran launched his own Chicago-focused newsletter, and it’s thriving.’ (Tech and media journalist Simon Owens)

“Meyerson had the kind of background that was perfect for launching a Chicago-focused newsletter.”

Sept. 20, 2020: ‘There’s not a project he doesn’t create that a year later you don’t find an award with’ (Weigel Broadcasting executive producer Fred Weintraub)

“Any project that Charlie works on or creates, really, is never a project about himself. It’s about the teams that he creates.”

June 26, 2020: Sustaining journalism in a pandemic: ‘We need each other’ (Illinois Press Association)

“What’s yet to be seen is what that right size is for the media landscape at large. Is it going to be the big companies shrinking, or the small companies growing?”

June 9, 2020: ‘Chicago Public Square: Keeping Chicago informed and winning awards along the way.’ (Rad Letters)

“Readers’ attention is not to be taken for granted. Their priority is fundamentally opposed to publishers’ and broadcasters’ priority: We want them to spend all their time with us, and they want to get on with their lives. In email—as in radio news—every word counts.”

May 28, 2020: Chicago Public Square offers daily news briefings (WGN Radio)

“Charlie joined Bob Sirott to talk about … the competitiveness of digital news… and the ‘embarrassment of riches’ when it comes to news.”

March 18, 2020: ‘Charlie’s daily newsletter … a must-read every single day.’ (WGN Radio)

“Meyerson joins Justin to talk about Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park leaders urging residents to ‘shelter in place’ to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Jan. 30, 2020: ‘The future of local news media’ (Newcity)

“A diversity of reliable, responsible and well-funded sources is a good thing—and a big improvement over the days when a handful of organizations, mostly run by white guys, decided what was newsworthy.”

Nov. 19, 2019: ‘How News Outlets Can Make Email Newsletters More Effective.’ (Local News Initiative)

“Certain words and turns of phrase and presentations and headline styles can work to connect people with great journalism.”

Nov. 11, 2019: ‘Meyerson wins best blog in Chicago Reader poll.’ (Illinois College of Media)

“More than 30,000 people voted in more than 300 categories of the poll.”

May 13, 2019: ‘Meyerson … picked up best radio newscast honors for The Chicago Public Square Newscast.’ (Robert Feder)

“The other finalist in the category was WBBM Newsradio. Meyerson also had a hand in the winner for best podcast, Rivet Radio, where the veteran Chicago newsman works part-time as vice president/editorial and development.”

Sept. 18, 2018: ‘Meyerson … moderated a thoughtful and enlightening panel …’ (Robert Feder)

“… on how newspaper editorial boards operate.”

April 4, 2018: ‘Charlie Meyerson, the veteran Chicago journalist and digital news pioneer who keeps finding new ways to do great work …’ (Robert Feder)

“… just launched a Chicago Public Square Newscast series.”

April 1, 2018: ‘Charlie is a pioneer in the e-newsletter headline business.’ (Illinois Entertainer columnist Rick Kaempfer)

“Meyerson has been a part of the Chicago media landscape now for four decades.”

Sept. 13, 2017: ‘Charlie Meyerson, our terrific moderator’ (Wednesday Journal)

“Those of you lucky enough to be in the audience … saw the easy rapport between Axelrod and Charlie ….”

July 28, 2017: This veteran Chicago journalist is using an email ‘newscast’ to keep people informed (Poynter)

“In his opinion… what works in newsletters is what’s always worked best in journalism: Be clear and concise, don’t waste people’s time, offer them something of value.”

June 29, 2016: A Murrow award for Rivet Radio (Chicago Reader)

“A sweet honor for an innovative operation that was a gleam in Charlie Meyerson’s eye just two and a half years ago.”

June 21, 2016: Rivet Radio Makes the Best of a Bad Situation (FishbowlNY)

[The national Edward R. Murrow Award-winning report] “is hosted by Charlie Meyerson.”

March 21, 2016: ‘Free from the tyranny of the clock’ (WGN-AM podcast)

“Charlie Meyerson … joins Justin to discuss the evolution of the media landscape, the future of radio and podcasting, digital media, content creation, the ease of editing, what it takes to get people to listen and finding ways to monetize your product.”

March 3, 2016: Rivet Radio’s Charlie Meyerson gives our readers podcast pointers (Chicago Journalists Association)

“Award-winning Chicago radio (WXRT, WGN, WBEZ) and Internet (chicagotribune.com, Rivet) newsman Charlie Meyerson’s taking his expertise in audience engagement and radio production on the road over the next few weeks.”

Sept. 19, 2015: ‘Listen to it like you hate me’: Audio editing advice from a radio professional (Excellence in Journalism 2015 convention coverage)

“Meyerson … taught me how to be a sharp self-editor, my best-worst critic, and a tactful audio journalist who throws it back to the basics with Strunk and White.”

Dec. 26, 2013:

Chicago startup Rivet News Radio echoes Zite and Pandora for audio news (Poynter)

“News head Charlie Meyerson explained to me the vision for the service: ‘Our mission is to provide one riveting experience after another.’”

Jan. 7, 2013: ‘Kudos to veteran Chicago newsman Charlie Meyerson …’ (Robert Feder)

“It’s an ideal match for WBEZ and Meyerson, who pioneered the format as senior producer and Daywatch columnist for chicagotribune.com.”

July 18, 2012: Inside the Merlin staff meeting (Radio Ink)

“We are better positioned, with stronger, sharper skills than any of us had a year ago to go on and create something new again, somewhere else.”

June 24, 2012: Charlie Meyerson: Optimistic News Guy (Radiogirl podcast)

“Charlie … talks about his career at WXRT, WNUA, the Tribune Company, and WGN Radio. He also talks about his audio reports, his new teaching gig at Roosevelt University, and shares his optimism about the media.”

June 28, 2011: Merlin Media Quickly Hires Meyerson (Media Confidential)

“Charlie Meyerson has quickly landed a new gig.”

June 19, 2011: Charlie Meyerson Says Goodbye To WGN and Tribune (Chicagoland Radio and Media)

“We moved the news team from its home of a quarter-century on the 1st floor of Tribune Tower to the 4th floor, integrating it more tightly with the Chicago Tribune and WGN-TV news teams. We launched aggressive email and text alert services for our listeners. We overhauled and improved WGNradio.com several times. We aired some of Chicago’s smartest radio news reporting and analysis—on technology, the weather, the environment, politics, civic affairs and more. And the WGN Radio News team’s hard work has been recognized with several significant awards this year: The AP/Illinois prizes for Outstanding News Operation and Best Newscast; the Chicago Headline Club Lisagor Award for Best Newscast; and a contributing role in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Silver Dome awards for Station of the Year and Best Station Website.”

July 29, 2009: WGN-AM names Chicago Tribune Daywatch columnist Charlie Meyerson news director (Chicago Tribune)

“His return to broadcasting, announced Wednesday and effective Aug. 6, comes about 11 years after Meyerson left the business and joined the Tribune to help develop its then-nascent digital presence and strategy.”

Aug. 12, 2008: One-stop news . . . from a newspaper? (Chicago Reader)

“Daywatch, the Tribune‘s daily news briefing, isn’t sticking to news originated by the Tribune. Charlie Meyerson, who compiles Daywatch each morning and e-mails it to about 60,000 subscribers, has taken to sweetening the package with stories that catch his eye no matter where he finds them–and that includes in the Sun-Times.”

May 14, 2008: The Power of Connections: Media Meets Mission, panel discussion at The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management (WBEZ)

“You don’t need a broadcast license, you don’t need to own a huge antenna, you don’t need to have a TV studio, you don’t need to suck up to someone who owns giant printing presses, you know, all you need is a computer or a library card that will get you access to a computer, and … you have the potential to connect to an unlimited audience.”

November 2007: Advancing the Story

“None of this should be cause for despair among journalists who fear becoming slaves to public opinion, reporting only what an audience wants instead of what they think it needs. … Journalists who want to sail an audience in a specific direction need not be slaves to the winds of audience preferences. But, like a good sailor, they can navigate more successfully if they perceive which way those winds are blowing.”

Feb. 18, 2007: Chicago Radio Spotlight

“This is the best time in history to become a journalist.”

Aug. 25, 2006: News breaks at chicagotribune.com

[Review of Meyerson presentation at Society of Professional Journalists convention]: “The BEST convention session I’ve attended.”

July/August 2004: Illinois Alumni magazine

“The WPGU reunion, held in Champaign in April in honor of the student-run radio station’s 50 years of existence, lured Chicago radio news veteran Charlie Meyerson ‘77 COM, MS ‘78 COM, back to campus for the first time since 1987.”

March 14, 2002: Online Journalism Review

“Charlie Meyerson, a chicagotribune.com staff reporter who was a news radio veteran before he became an Internet reporter, informally trains colleagues in broadcast basics in the online newsroom. In addition to his text news updating and reporting duties online, including an early-morning, e-mailed update newsletter to [60,000+] subscribers [as of 2006], he gives an 8 a.m. radio broadcast on WGN-AM, a Tribune Company station.”

January/February 2000: American Journalism Review

“Meyerson and his afternoon counterpart, Joyce Garcia, update the information several times a day, taking feeds from the Tribune’s staff of a half-dozen online reporters and occasionally from the paper’s print reporters. Their goal is nothing less than their slogan—‘Instant Chicago.’”

October 1999: The Communicator

“Three years ago, Charlie Meyerson, the news director at WNUA-FM in Chicago, sent a memo to his new bosses at Chancellor Media Corporation, urging them to embrace the Internet.”

April 7, 1999: Editor & Publisher

“Daywatch columnist Charlie Meyerson, a 20-year radio news and newspaper veteran who recently joined the Tribune breaking news operation, says he won’t be surprised to see some of his old radio listeners become readers of his Web content.”

Oct. 11, 1998: The sound of news is fading out on many FM stations (Chicago Tribune)

“Meyerson … [is] taking his time before deciding what his next move will be, and it may not be back to the radio airwaves. He says that whatever happens, the Internet is bound to create more opportunities for journalists who know how to make news compelling: “The one thing that won’t change is the ability to tell a story, and tell it well.”

Sept. 2, 1998: Sam Weller’s 411 (Newcity)

“Longtime WNUA-FM 95.5 news director Charlie Meyerson has parted ways with his former employers. … The award-winning journalist would like to stay in radio, but sees the Internet as an option as well.”

Dec. 5, 1990: Chicago Tribune Inc. column

“He’s in a helicopter covering a story about an oil tanker on the Chicago River (hey, this is fantasy, folks) and gets attacked by a giant flying monster.”

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awarded a U.S. patent

Why I should never sing in public

Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky was kind enough to invite me on his show this week—we talked Wednesday, the podcast was published Saturday—to answer questions about how and why I do what I do for Chicago Public Square.

I was honored along the way to express my admiration for columnists Neil Steinberg and Robert Feder, Reader critic Jack Helbig, The Onion, WXRT-FM News pioneers C.D. Jaco and Linda Brill, Square reader Angela Mullins, radio DJs Bob Stroud and Marty Lennartz, my college radio station WPGU … 

… and to deliver an ill-advised musical tribute to my alma mater, Carl Sandburg High School, whose fight song I was—for reasons that elude me now—moved to butcher.

You’ve been warned. Here it is.

If you like this, check out more of my conversations with thought-leaders through the years on this website, in Apple Music, on Pandora or Spotify, via your favorite podcast player and at Chicago Public Square.

Charlie Meyerson interviewed … about Charlie Meyerson

This hasn’t happened much in my career, most of which I’ve devoted to profiling people far more interesting than I am.

But, twice in less than two weeks, I was honored to be interviewed about journalism, politics, radio, the origins of Chicago Public Square and my personal journey:

On Friday, I was a guest on Chicago Reader columnist Ben Joravsky’s podcast—and that was just seven days after Matt Baron had grilled me for the Common Ground Oak Park podcast.

So here, in the Charlie Meyerson interviews series, is—for lack of a better phrase—Charlie Meyerson interviewed …



… and Charlie Meyerson interviewed again.

Check out more of my conversations with thought-leaders through the years on this website, in Apple Music, on Spotify, via your favorite podcast player and at Chicago Public Square.

Meyerson, recommended

A career devoted to creating content that keeps and builds an audience—from award-winning radio news that kept music-loving audiences from punching the button ... to what became Tribune Co.’s highest-clickthrough-rated editorial email product, Daywatch ... to creation of the innovative “Tinder for radio news” app, Rivet … and the critically acclaimed Chicago Public Square local news platform: Content strategist, podcast and radio engagement expert, email and social media pioneer—linking great work with growing audiences online, on-air, in print.

How can Meyerson Strategy help you? Email Charlie@MeyersonStrategy.com.

A sampling of recommendations. Many more posted to LinkedIn:

Clients

Jason Sherman, president, SHERMAN communications & marketing: “I hired Charlie … to conduct spokesperson training with me for a billion-dollar, global healthcare client of mine. We co-trained six senior executives from all over the world during a half-day session. Charlie was brilliant, funny, thoughtful, and very effective. He helped to both put the participants at ease and raise and help them manage tough sample questions. His perspective as a journalist and professional interviewer was invaluable. Charlie’s years of experience … make him a terrific asset and partner.”

Sheryl Beck, broadcast representative at SAG-AFTRA: “Charlie is exceptional! He created and led a social media training for our broadcast members that was so dynamic and informative, people just couldn’t get enough. He shared his vast wisdom, tips and insight and, at the same time, pulled virtually everyone into the discussion with participants sharing their best wisdom, tips and insight. The only problem was the training was just not long enough! At two hours, no one was ready to leave.”

David Weindling, executive director, Farther Foundation: “Charlie provided sage and practical guidance in honing our communication strategy. We saw immediate improvement in open rates, click rates and overall audience engagement.”

Aurora Aguilar, editor in chief, Modern Healthcare: “We had Charlie present at our annual editorial retreat. He gave us great insight into our distribution of content and offered some good advice on how to more successfully engage our readers through better headlines and concise writing. I would recommend Charlie for any editorial strategy consultancy.”

Molly McDonough, former editor and publisher, ABA Journal: “Charlie was a positive, energizing force for me and my co-workers. I appreciated the time he spent learning about our operation, then pointing out ways he thought we could improve, and most importantly, showing us how. I especially liked that he rolled up his sleeves and spent one-on-one time with staff answering questions, editing and coaching. His observations and suggestions led us to make immediate changes that proved good for us and our readers.”

Sarah Rand, partner engagement and communications consultant, American Institutes for Research. “Charlie was great to work with on our podcast. He helped with the podcast at every step of the way from conceptualization to editing. Our team constantly kept Charlie’s mantra in mind as we created the piece: Don’t be boring! And the podcast turned out great!”

Stephen Anzaldi, internal communications manager, Northwestern University. “When I brought him in to share lessons with my colleagues in the Northwestern University news office, he took it to the next level. Charlie is incredibly effective in clarifying, helping to cut through the noise that has become online communication. Our email news alert is more crisp and sharp as a result. ... I’m tempted to go back to j-school to sit in on more of his lessons.”

Dan Haley, publisher, Wednesday Journal Inc. “Several years ago our weekly community newspapers were trying to figure out how to drive traffic to the updated news coverage we were posting to our then new website. We had breaking news on the site but people were still perceiving us as a weekly news product. Charlie ... directly laid out the solution. We had to build an e-mail list of our readers so that we could push out our news updates to them. That solution is probably the most central element of our success digitally. Now, multiple times a week, we send e-mail updates to many thousands of our readers. Today that seems obvious. Eight or 10 years ago it was a fantastic insight from Charlie. He is clear-eyed, problem-solving, direct-talking.”

Bob Rowley, director of media relations, Northwestern University. “Charlie ... presented a fascinating and informative lecture and Q&A for my media relations team at Northwestern University on maximizing our audience and sharpening our Web content. He’s a pro, a wise man and a great colleague. He knows the Web and the news business and would bring great insight and value to any non-profit organization, public institution or private enterprise.”

Linda Lenz, then-publisher, Catalyst Chicago. “Charlie examined the audience data for our weekly news e-blast and our Feedburner feed, finding patterns that prompted us to make changes—mainly in layout and headlines. Almost immediately, our Feedburner ‘reach’ rose 50%, and our e-blast click-throughs are trending up. Charlie presented his critique in a manner that made them easy for all of us to swallow. It was time very well spent.”

Sophia Madana, then-digital/social media specialist, VanderCook College of Music. “I attended a lecture Charlie presented on email marketing. ... After implementing his tips, the open rate of my email campaign is nearing 20 percent and the click-through rate has increased significantly. I happily recommend Mr. Meyerson as a consultant to any company or organization looking to amp up its digital presence without feeling too overwhelmed.”

Colleagues

Steve Scott, news anchor, WCBS Newsradio, New York City: “Charlie’s not just ahead of the curve; he’s often the guy drawing the curve for others to follow.”

Alison Scholly, former chief operating officer, Chicago Public Media: “Charlie Meyerson is ... creative, well spoken, pays attention to detail, challenges conventional wisdom and has an affable relationship with all colleagues, whether they work in the news department or not. I worked with Charlie for many years at Chicago Tribune Interactive, and his leadership was frequently sought out by others because he was insightful, witty, respectful of others and worked tirelessly to collect and share audience insights with his team. I would hire Charlie into many leadership positions, but especially into roles that require consistent high effort, thoughtful decision-making, strong relationship-building skills and the ability to glean audience insights and take well-reasoned risks.”

Lou Carlozo, investment staff writer, U.S. News & World Report: “Charlie is, plain and simple, a visionary of news and radio content. He was the first person I ever met to grasp what ‘search engine optimization’ meant, in the mid-2000s. He was years ahead of his time. The same reporters who groaned at his wise counsel regarding SEO were scrambling to catch up years later. Charlie is wise, smart as a whip, and hands down one of the best news and radio pros I’ve ever worked with. I’m grateful for all he taught me, as it allowed me to go to AOL and achieve fabulous results in a short time. He also has a way of promoting loyalty and team play like few others I’ve met. He’s the best, period.”

Walter Sabo, former CEO, Merlin Media; and former vice president, ABC Radio Networks. “Charlie is a great professional ... extremely collaborative and smart. He knows Chicago and understands the needs of the listener and the media community. I would work with him any time, anywhere.”

Boris Geisler, UX & UI design, innovation and production consultant—and architect of the Rivet Radio app: “Charlie is phenomenal! He combines a level of comprehension, professionalism, and joy that I’ve not seen in a newsman and story-teller. His attention to detail and sense of righteousness is what makes him a top-notch leader and strategist. He led Rivet Radio to journalistic excellence and a long list of awards. Plus, if it wasn’t for Charlie, I wouldn’t have the primary news source I enjoy every day! If you’re up to something big, hire Charlie! He knows!”

Former students and interns

Adam Langer, acclaimed novelist, critic and Forward culture editor. “One of the great pleasures of my college years was the time I spent as an intern at WXRT-FM. What, in part, made it such a wonderful and fulfilling experience was the presence of Charlie Meyerson. Always professional, informative, dedicated, and exceedingly well-prepared, Charlie helped me to learn the crafts of editing and writing, particularly under tight deadlines. He was both an excellent teacher and a terrific colleague.”

Scott Kitun, CEO at Technori, management consultant, and Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism graduate. “Of all of the many instructors at Medill, ... Charlie ... provided me with the most value, post-graduation! I still rely on Charlie for guidance and mentorship years after having him as my instructor. His vision and understanding of the ever-changing media landscape is invaluable, as is his professional experience.”

Lauren Victory, reporter, WBBM-TV (CBS), Chicago. “Charlie Meyerson mentored me since my beginning days as a journalist. When I was in my junior year at Northwestern University, ... Charlie focused on both the old and new of our industry—delving into ethics and the digital future .... Years after my internship, he remains a sounding board for me and a connection to several important journalists in the Chicago area.”

Giacomo Luca, reporter, KXTV-TV (ABC), Sacramento. “Professor, mentor, news director, friend: If you’re looking for the best of these, it’s Charlie Meyerson. He is one of the most influential teachers in my life and I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without him. His News Reporting class was spot-on what it is like to work in a daily newsroom. He brings passion, years of experience and independent attention. He helped instill the skills I needed to go on to become a professional journalist.”

Kim Strickland, author, blogger and airline pilot. “I interned under Charlie at WXRT Radio in Chicago during the summer of 1984. ... He made me feel comfortable at ’XRT, like part of the team, even though I was just a kid, and he found a way to critique my writing in such a supportive and instructive way, I still carry what he taught with me to this day.... On days when I just don’t feel like sitting in the chair, I hear Charlie’s words in my ear, “Have fun and do well.” Do well. And so I try. Because I do not want to let this man down.”

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Read more recommendations.

Thank you, Chicago.

Forty years ago this week, fresh out of the University of Illinois College of Communications and student radio station WPGU-FM—technically, still finishing a master’s degree—I took my first job as a full-time professional journalist.

Gary Deeb’s Chicago Tribune column, Sept. 19, 1977

I signed on Aug. 15, 1977, for what would be a two-year run as news director and morning news anchor at WMRO-AM and WAUR-FM in Aurora, Ill.

It was the week Elvis Presley died and the week I learned—on the air—that “mausoleum” doesn’t rhyme with “linoleum.”

It was the start of a wonderful career blessed from start to, well, now—which I hasten to add is not the finish of my work bringing the news to Chicago-area audiences.

I was lucky to follow that assignment with a decade at WXRT-FM; almost nine years at the late WNUA-FM; a near-13-year run at the (also late) Tribune Co., including the Chicago Tribune, Tribune Interactive and WGN Radio; and a string of innovative startups: FM News, Rivet Radio and my latest baby, Chicago Public Square.

Even more rewarding than the jobs themselves has been the chance, at almost every stop—and at a few colleges and universities along the way—to work with smart and talented students and interns who would become the celebrated journalists and authors of the future.

If you’ve ever hired, been hired by or worked with me—or if you’re related to me—please accept my deepest sympathy.

If you’ve ever gotten your news from me—as a listener, reader or even occasionally as a TV viewer—please know how grateful I am for your priceless gift of attention.

And how much I look forward to more of the same.

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Things to come

Upcoming events I'm working on. Come join the fun:

Understanding Podcasts: A Workshop for Public Narrative, Wednesday, March 23, 9 a.m. A three-hour course for beginners and intermediate creators of content for the brave new world of digital audio. Key elements include a look at realtime user metrics -- demonstrating the challenges to keeping people listening -- and step-by-step training for executing an interview podcast. Register here.

So You Want to Be a Podcaster: A Keynote Speech for the Graduate School at Northwestern University. Tuesday, March 29, at noon. A one-hour overview for those ready to take the leap. Free, but register here.

Master of ceremonies, Oak Park Education Foundation annual fundraising gala, Saturday, April 16, 7 p.m. Helping raise funds for programs that provide innovative, hands-on learning experiences in science, the arts and literature for Oak Park elementary and middle-school students.

More to come ...

Waves of change: From radio to the Web to radio again

Draft of an essay requested by the editors of a forthcoming book, The World Wide Web: Reflections on Its Past, Present and Future, to be published by The Denovati Group. Your suggestions, corrections and other great thoughts welcome in the comments section below.

In 1998, after working more than 20 years in Chicago-area radio news, I found the field withering. Freed of historic regulation requiring news departments, radio stations were shedding reporters and anchors — abandoning news altogether or outsourcing it to organizations that historically had provided just traffic reports.

I’d presided over dismantlement of an award-winning news team I’d assembled at a music-oriented station owned by a company that would eventually be subsumed into the giant Clear Channel empire, and the final act was my dismissal by a general manager who, to his credit, seemed sadder about it than I was. He graciously provided a severance that, along with union-funded health insurance, gave me time to ponder the future.

That pondering — notably during a slow horseback ride the next week — led me to the conclusion the Internet was the place to be; that a radio news mindset would be of value in the digital world I’d experienced in a new way earlier that year when our neighborhood gained broadband access.

Fortunately for me, a Chicago Tribune team assigned to figure out a new Internet strategy had come to the same conclusion. Three months later, I turned down a job as news director at one of those radio traffic services to join the new “breaking news” team at the Trib, confident news on the Internet would be a lot more like news on the radio than news on paper.

I was wrong. And I was right.

I was wrong in that “news on the Internet” demanded mastery of skills until that point largely irrelevant in broadcasting — things like spelling, punctuation and typographical style.

And I was wrong, too, in that “news on the Internet” — despite the exhilaration of being able to publish almost instantly — unlike radio news didn’t disappear instantly into the ether. It lingered. And mistakes lingered, too: Content could be cached — in a user’s browser, in search engines’ archives, in email inboxes — and so needed to adhere to newspaper-level demands for accuracy. Deciding when a developing story was complete enough to post was an early headache for the breaking news team at the Tribune. In traditional media, a story was ready when the tones chimed at the top of the hour and it was time for a newscast to begin, or when it was time for the presses to roll. That made things easier. On the Internet, deciding when to publish remains one of the most persistent challenges for modern journalism, right up to this era of instantaneous tweeting.

Another challenge emerged: On the Internet, a story needed to meet no arbitrary length requirement. How long was too long? How short was too short? An unlimited amount of space and a lack of metrics made such decisions complex.

I was right in that “news on the Internet” required a broadcast mindset of “this is what we know now; it’s not a full story, but we’ll get back to you on that.”

And I was right in that one of the most valuable lessons I learned in radio news has proven relevant in every digital news job I’ve had: Journalists dare not take the audience’s attention for granted.

Take a look at some of the earliest consumer radios and you’ll see something we all now take for granted: Push-buttons, letting users change stations quickly. For radio, the competition’s almost always been a click away. And the directive to radio news people — especially those working on music radio stations — was this: Don’t be a tune-out; they’re not here for you, so make sure you reward their time and keep them interested.

That hadn’t been the case for newspapers. Unless readers were in a grocery store checkout lane, they probably had just one publication in front of them, and that was the one they read.

Now, whether you’re selling shoes or news, your competition on the web is just a click away. Just like radio. And any content — journalism, marketing, advertising, brochures — that doesn’t fight to gain and keep its audience’s attention means much of the creative effort behind that content went to waste.

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That was the philosophy I brought to my primary role at the Tribune for almost 11 years: Creating the newspaper’s daily email newsletter, Daywatch. As I proposed it before joining the newspaper, it was a sort of radio newscast by email: A series of conversationally written, broadcast-style news briefs, each sufficient to inform the audience enough that the dispatch itself would provide a satisfying experience, but each with enough of a twist to compel subscribers to click over to the Web for the full story.

Daywatch was, by any measure, a success. At its peak, it racked up a company-leading clickthrough rate: For every 100 recipients, 60 links clicked.

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What we learned from Daywatch metrics eventually came to inform programming of the entire chicagotribune.com Web site — headlines, read-ins, photos and more. We found what worked in Daywatch — based on what had worked in radio news — also worked on the Web. And so, in January 2005, my assignment was to summarize all we’d learned about headlines. The result was a seminal report on “headlines that work.”

Long before “search-engine optimization” became popular; and years before BuzzFeed and Upworthy built businesses on a certain style of headlines, readers were teaching the Chicago Tribune to “place the story’s most interesting word or phrase as close as possible to the start of the headline” (coincidentally, an axiom of radio newswriting, and now more important than ever on tiny smartphone screens); to recognize the compelling nature of headlines that featured questions, ellipses, teases and pull quotes; and to weigh headline words for “point value.”

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One of my roles in the early 2000s was that of Web evangelist, charged with finding ways to connect the growing Internet audience with the work of Tribune reporters and columnists. So I was the guy who left the Internet nest to explain to print journalists, department by department, what this weird Web stuff was about, why they might like to launch one of these things called “blogs,” and what we were learning about audience behavior — what stories people were clicking, what images seemed to connect, what headlines drove traffic.

It was a slog.

What I heard — from features, from sports, from business, from metro — was the same: “Newspaper readers aren’t like that. That’s just the twitchy Internet audience.” Or: “No, I don’t want to know how many people read my piece; it’ll compromise my creative process.”

My responses: They’re the same readers, or at least they will be eventually. Don’t you want to know how they behave? And: Knowing which of your stories is most popular doesn’t mean you can’t do other types of stories; it offers tools for getting people to read those other stories.

Some listened, some didn’t.

But, eventually, management got it.

Those same metrics rejected by so many staffers came in the long run to become a part of the daily newspaper planning sessions; in fact, by 2009, they routinely had come to be the first point of discussion at those meetings.

But soon after, I was headed back to radio news, hoping to apply to broadcasting what I’d learned about audience behavior on the Web — first as news director at the Tribune’s radio station, WGN-AM, and then as Chicago bureau chief for an innovative (but ultimately unsuccessful) approach to all-news radio for the FM dial, Merlin Media’s “FM News” initiative.

When the FM News experiment ended abruptly after a year, I told a reporter, “In many cases, and I think so in my case, we are better positioned, with stronger, sharper skills than any of us had a year ago to go on and create something new again, somewhere else.”

I didn’t think then that “something new” would happen so soon, or in Chicago. But, once again, I had some time to brainstorm ways to synthesize what I’d learned on the Web with what I knew from radio. With a stretch of free time on my hands, I submitted a proposal to the Knight News Challenge for “Radio news, reinvented“ — a manifesto for creating and distributing radio news by smartphone.

The proposal eventually led me to a startup with similar aspirations — an organization where, at this writing, I’m part of a team tying together all aspects of my career.

It brings together what I learned from my first career in radio news and from my second career in Internet news. It leverages headlines designed to catch the audience’s attention and stories exactly as long as they need to be to keep the audience’s attention.

Like the Internet itself, it frees the audience from the “tyranny of the clock.” As the Internet did for text-based news — making it freshly available any time of day, not just whenever a newspaper would plunk onto the front porch or driveway — smartphone-delivered radio provides a “top of the hour” experience whenever you turn on the app. The latest news awaits you. Because the phone knows where you are, it can give you just the news — notably, traffic and weather forecasts — relevant to you. And because the app “knows” when you’ve heard a story, this service doesn’t need to repeat anything. (How many times an hour do you really need to hear a weather forecast?)

Is this the future of radio news? This project’s a startup, so it’s too soon to say. But I’m confident the principles we’ve embraced — ideas forged in the fires of broadcasting and honed on the whetstone of the Web — will shape the news experience of the next 20 years.

Stay tuned.