Douglas E. Jessmer

WHERE I’VE BEEN IN PRINT JOURNALISM

2007-present: Pinellas News, St. Petersburg, Fla. — Editor.

2006-07: The Detroit News — Page one and sports designer, but also did a few metro and business pages.

2005-06: Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Sarasota, Fla. — Page one, metro and business designer.

2001-05: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review — Assistant graphics editor. Was part of the core team that redesigned the newspaper (to SND acclaim) in 2003.

1997-2001: The Alliance Review, Alliance, Ohio — Was its presentation editor, but also reported, wrote a column, shot photos and reported/executed graphics. Attended a one-time workshop at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla., called “Designing With Type.”

1994-97: The Record-Delta, Buckhannon, W.Va., and Watsonville Register-Pajaronian, Watsonville, Calif.: Worked primarily at the Delta, but was borrowed several times (including being a member of the takeover team from Scripps) to help out at a sister paper in Santa Cruz County.

1990-94: Marietta College, Marietta, Ohio — B.A. with major in journalism, minor in art. Worked as managing editor, presentation editor and in writing, photography and design positions at The Marcolian, the college’s student newspaper.

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LEGACY BIO FROM THIS SITE

A product of the small-town newspaper experience, Douglas E. Jessmer graduated with a journalism degree from Marietta (Ohio) College in May 1994. After that, he started at a small newspaper in a college town in northern West Virginia; from there, he worked in Watsonville, Calif., then in Alliance, Ohio (his hometown), at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (in graphics – the last two years as assistant graphics editor), then as a news designer at the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune, and starting in July 2006, as a news designer at The Detroit News.

In college, Doug also did live radio and anchored a nightly TV newscast, things he did “for fun.” He was encouraged to go into talk radio, but thought differently – he thought print journalism was serious journalism. (It was, at least until he invaded his first newsroom!)

He’s been on VisualEditors.com since it was a baby, attended Poynter, and raised hell at SND. He’s done nearly everything in a newsroom, from reporting and photography to developing film and enlarging prints, to photo editing and story editing, to page design, to editing ongoing special sections, to pasting up galleys (how about those waxers, X-Acto knives and rollers?)… to answering the phone and making coffee to stay awake late at night. He also, to quote a former president, “feels your pain.” And he throws a mean cutter with a paper wad during Newsroom Pica Pole Baseball.

He’s a longtime guitar, mandolin and bass player who grew up with bluegrass music (but he does, indeed, play other stuff).  He keeps thinking sooner or later he’ll buy a Telecaster and a small amp just to fool around, but realizes a bass would be a little more practical. Besides, his longtime companion, a Martin HD-28, would be jealous.

He “plays Air Force on the weekends,” as he jokes, as a member of Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force’s volunteer emergency-services auxiliary (http:/www.cap.af.mil). Maj. Douglas E. Jessmer, or “sir,” as he’s sometimes called, or “hey, you in the blue,” is a qualified aircrew member and flies as much as he can. He’s a former CAP cadet (as a teenager), and has served as a public affairs officer for several years in several units, and commanded a squadron for several months during a transition period.

He lurks at the local Whataburger and Krystal in Tampa, but can be spotted enjoying a fine pizza at his desk at work. Doug believes White Castle is an acquired taste, and “you have to be in the mood for it – you just can’t go there on a whim.” However, he also believes In-N-Out Burger is the finest burger ever made, hands down.

He’s a four-time Mustang owner and Ford aficionado (and stockholder), and lives across the street (literally) from Ford’s World Headquarters in Dearborn, Mich. (coincidence?).

Before moving to Sarasota, his plan was to leave journalism altogether and go to law school. The promise of beaches and lots more money lured him from the surly bonds of Pittsburgh.

As big a mouth as Doug has, would you believe the blog wasn’t his idea? All the credit goes to VizEds.com founder Robb Montgomery, who believed Doug may have had something to say that was worth reading. If you agree, thank him for Doug’s opportunity.

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