A college degree is preferred, but there is no substitute for experience, such as having been on a college newspaper, or a smaller weekly or daily. I hire people who can do a little of everything. One of the first things I did here was phase out the photographer position. My reporters were told to get some camera equipment and take photos themselves. A photography purist might say that the quality of our work would suffer as a result, but now I feel the quality of our photos have actually gotten better since we made that move. They need to be able to write in Associated Press style, take notes, write fast, and be accurate; and they have to do it quickly, because the presses are waiting.