The National Journal has an interview with Daryn Kagan (sub. req.). I was going to pass on noting it except Kagan hit a home run on this question and her answer should be plastered in national newsrooms everywhere. There is just no substitute for working your way up and putting in lots of years refining your craft. I can spot the news anchors who have from the ones who have not. It’s night and day.

And finally, we’re ending this feature with a question posed by the last interviewee. This is from NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell: Do you feel journalists entering the news business today have the same motivations, ethics and drive as those who began when you did?

I think they come with different expectations of the sacrifice “my generation,” did. We understood the importance and sacrifice of going to a small market and learning all sorts of skills. But, now there are so many other avenues to get experience, a lot of young people expect to start in a big market or on the network level. I understand not wanting to move around to a strange place and make very little money. But, I am so thankful for my time in Santa Barbara and Phoenix. I am very thankful for my small market experience. It certainly was the cornerstone of my success at CNN. And now that I’m running my start-up, DarynKagan.com, it’s kind of like being in a small market all over again, having to do the jobs of many people.