A newsworthy Flyer

For Mary Creane ’85, long-time journalist at the Boston Globe, running a newspaper is comparable to running an aircraft carrier.

“The reporters are the fighter pilots, and a there’s a whole bunch of us who make the airplanes run,” Creane said. “But it’s important that the airplanes run or the fighter pilots would not get to do their jobs.” 

Creane considers herself to be part of the crew that makes the airplanes run. She has worked around the clock during her 20-plus years at the Globe in a multitude of roles, ranging from assistant business editor to assistant night editor. Now, she is the senior assistant managing editor for production.

“I do whatever it takes to make the actual newspaper come, as well as make sure everything gets copy edited,” Creane said. “I write headlines, I choose wire stories, I design pages, I copy edit stories, I write captions … and at the end of the night, we have a newspaper."

Creane began her career in journalism as a senior at the University of Dayton. At 5 a.m., she and fellow Flyer, Michelle Lewis ’85, reported to the Dayton Daily News office to help out at the copy desk. Although the job required routine power naps in between work and classes, Creane loved her first exposure to journalism. Lewis is still at Dayton Daily News.

“Newsrooms are great places. They are exciting. They are full of super smart people, super interesting people, curious people, and funny, funny cynical sarcastic people,” Creane said. “It was eye opening and wonderful to get to work at the Dayton Daily News when I was that young and to see what it was like to be putting together something big every day.”

Creane gets to impart her wisdom and enthusiasm with her own class of journalism students at Boston College where she teaches a course about copy editing in the digital age. While AP Style is most definitely a priority, Creane’s curriculum is geared toward understanding current topics or trends in news media — and most of that material does not come from her.

“I love hearing from [students] about how they use media, how they use journalism, and it’s been very interesting,” Creane said. “It’s made me rethink some of the ways I use journalism or rethink some of the ways I act when I choose stories or write headlines. That’s been wonderful.”

As a print production editor, Creane recognizes the significance of print news in a digital age.

“We are a much more curated view of the news,” Creane said. “If you look at the front page of the actual newspaper or e-paper, you are looking at what editors have decided is the most important story.”

A newspaper with the reach and prestige of the Boston Globe has a responsibility, according to Creane.

“I think bigger news organizations have to act even more as a filter in someway's,” Creane said. “They have to be above reproach themselves — they’ve always had to be. I think it’s even more imperative now.”

As a wife and mother of three, Creane has felt nothing but gratitude for what a career in journalism has given her — even if most holidays are spent in the newsroom.

“Me being a journalist is part of who my family is, too,” Creane said. “We have changed our traditions to match my work hours.”

She remains extremely grateful to be a journalist, even during the uncertain times of putting together spreads from home.

As for advice for up-and-comers, Creane encourages young writers to, well, write.

“If you want to write, write. If you can write and write coherently, people are going to hire you no matter what the business,” Creane said. “Newsrooms are great, believe me, but there are lots and lots of places to write.”