JEN ISO
Staff Writer
One of Pepperdine’s journalism graduates, Dave Morgan, has decided to leave his job at the Los Angeles Times to work as an executive editor at Yahoo! Sports. Morgan said that after 20 years of deputy sports editing with the Times, he was ready to move on. Although it was hard leaving his co-workers, with whom he had formed strong relationships, Morgan knew that professionally he wanted to grow.
“I developed a second family,” the 1985 graduate said. “I worked [at the Times] over 20 years and never felt like I had a job.”
While fellow co-workers are saddened by Morgan’s decision, they said they know Morgan will thrive wherever he goes.
“He was always full of ideas,” Morgan’s boss at the Times, Bill Dwyre, wrote in a good-bye e-mail, “and always so good at motivating people to get them done.”
Morgan returned the compliments, appreciating Dwyre’s leadership. “He set the standard for the American sports section,” Morgan said. “He established the L.A. Times as a dominant sports section.”
Morgan said he grew by watching Dwyre delegate. While working alongside Dwyre, Morgan developed managing skills that would one day help him in his future career. “I learned it from the best,” Morgan said.
Dwyre was not the only fan of the man. Steven Pratt, also a Pepperdine journalism graduate and sports editor and editor-in-chief of the Graphic in 1992, said he grew by watching his idol. Pratt used his networking from Pepperdine and began his career as a news editor under the wing of Morgan.
“He was so focused,” Pratt said. “Yahoo is benefiting from the L.A. Times’ loss.”
Morgan’s journalism journey began in high school. Although he was always interested in sports and writing, he never envisioned himself as a sports editor. However, Morgan’s two passions seemed to decide for him. “It was a way to feel like you were working without really working,” Morgan said.
After receiving a rejection slip on his first article in his high school journalism class, Morgan was decided he was determined to make a name for himself. He began writing for a local paper while attending Contra Costa College.
While in junior college, Morgan met Steve Ames, the advisor for the Graphic at the time. Unsure about transferring schools, Morgan decided to visit the Malibu campus. After his trip, Morgan sarcastically said, “OK, I’ll go here.”
Since Morgan had previously worked in a professional environment in the Bay Area, he did not know what to expect from a school newspaper. The professionalism and close-knit group of the Pepperdine journalism department made Morgan feel right at home.
“[The journalism program] kept my interest,” Morgan said. “It allowed me to grow after I had already been in a professional environment.”
Morgan received a lot of experience with different roles in the paper. The small group allowed Morgan to form relationships and trust among the staff. He compares it to the real world when he said, “The teamwork by a much smaller group mirrors the professional world, no matter how big the company.”
With the Internet buzz in full swing, Yahoo is looking to expand and build a strong sports journalism team. The technology train is speeding up and Morgan felt as if it was too good an option to pass up, so he jumped aboard the Yahoo team. With the click of the mouse, sports fans are able to view the latest scores, the most recent trades or the homepage of their favorite sports team.
Morgan recently finished his first month working with Yahoo. He plans on sticking with Yahoo for a long time.
“Continuing relationships and starting new ones,” Morgan said, “I find that exciting.”
Morgan also has another set of relationships waiting for him back home. His wife Diana and two children, Eli, 9, and Briana, 8, keep the sports editor busy long after work hours.
“The lights don’t go off at 5 p.m.,” Morgan said. “It’s a juggling act. I don’t consider it difficult, just a part of my life.”
03-30-2006
