Celebrating Mary Ann Grossmann

Ladies do not go into Journalism.

That’s what Mary Anne Grossmann’s Pastor’s wife told her in 1961. Today marks her 50^th year at St. Paul Pioneer Press. What a feat.

Being in the same field at the same location for half a century, you would think she would have a lot to say about the changes journalism has made over the years. But about her job she had this to say, “It's so interesting. You never get tired of it. There are always new people, new stories. If you take away the mechanics, my job has not changed in 50 years. In the end, no matter how you deliver it, our job is to look into people's eyes and say, 'Tell me your story.' "

This is the whole reason I got into journalism in the first place, because you never stop learning. There is always someone new to talk to, something new to hear about and a new story to tell. Everyone out there has a story and each story is unique. As a journalist I get to help them tell their stories and that’s what I love about it.

Grossmann was 21 when she was hired at Pioneer Press. She is now 72. She was the first female reporter they hired in decades. I feel fortunate as a female reporter in the 21^st century to not face the opposition she must have faced. While she says the men in her newsroom saw her as a daughter and made sure she was taken care of, when she started working for the Women’s Department she found herself defending her position to a new generation of female reporters who wanted little to do with the things her section covered.

"I always told them that we climbed on the shoulders of our sisters who came before us; don't ever sneer at those women,” she said.

Now women reporters like me climb on the shoulders of Grossmann.

Just last week I interviewed a local Junction City resident fighting Mental Cell Lymphoma, a terminal cancer. She is a disabled vet and a retired peace officer. She said anytime you find yourself in a male-dominated society you have to prove your worth and your intelligence. I would argue that journalism is no longer a male dominated field, but only a few decades ago it was. And Grossmann helped pave the way for women to become respected members of that field. That is why I honor her today and why all journalists, male and female alike should take the time to pay their respects.

We do not face the same adversities that she did – that is not to say we don’t face them. But Grossmann is a great example of someone willing to accept changes and role with them, instead of holding fast to an outdated way of reporting.