The unceremonial rise of Dean Baquet

[hrmjustin]

Joe Pompeo

It was 1984 when Dean Baquet left his job as a reporter for the Times-Picayune in his native New Orleans to become an investigative reporter at The Chicago Tribune, and the tale of his transition was summed up to Capital like this: The mayor of New Orleans called the mayor of Chicago to warn him.

Four years later, Baquet and two of his colleagues had a Pulitzer Prize under their belts for a series on political corruption and pay-to-play in the Windy City: the councilman on the west side who used his perch to promote a Coca Cola knockoff he was shilling; the one from the north who was in the business of pedaling amusement licenses; and so on.

"He was so patient and so methodical about tying string together," recalled Bruce Dold, the Tribune's editorial page editor, who covered Chicago City Hall alongside Baquet.

Patience and methodicalness will no doubt serve Baquet well in his new job, as will the razor sharp reporting chops and investigative mettle he has been known for throughout his more than three decades as a newsman.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/05/8545416/unceremonial-rise-dean-baquet

[hrmjustin]

1. The Bloomberg factor: Prospect of Baquet exit loomed over N.Y. Times decision

http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/05/the-bloomberg-factor-prospect-of-baquet-exit-loomed-188588.html