Like a comet across the night sky, The Baltimore Examiner burned brightly for nearly three years. And then in a nanosecond it is gone to the annals of Baltimore’s rich media history.
It is ironic that Examiner headquarters is next door to a parking lot that was once the home of the News-American, another long-lamented piece of Baltimore’s media firmament. In its short time with us The Baltimore Examiner helped fill that “second opinion” void that only newspapers, as opinion leaders, can do.
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The Examiner, in plain fact, has been flat out a good media product.
The building on Pratt Street has its name on it, but the staff takes up only one floor. One would swear that an army brings it to life, but it has been basically a platoon.
News and sports reporters broke many stories, the features folk created instant favorites and the sales folk made great local impact.
The paper looked and acted the part of the major daily information source it actually was.
And now it is gone and so fast, like so many things today be they Ponzi fortunes, lifetime savings or simply one’s personal living space. The effect of The Baltimore Examiner and its contributions will never be gone, however.
Who can forget that first morning when celebs, and pols from then-Mayor Martin O’Malley on down crowded into Cafe Hon for an opening day party? Publisher Michael Phelps, Editor Frank Keegan, Editorial Page Editor Marta Hummel and this writer spent much of the night riding around to the distribution points and the printing plant as the baby was delivered. As the dawn came, the pleasant hangover of accomplishment fatigue swept over the traveling party as the realization hit that an important addition to Baltimore’s pop culture had been born.
As an ad man, I have chosen very fun and rewarding things to be involved with. Helping bring forward The Baltimore Examiner reminded me of our efforts to help create the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League in 1994. Their two-year existence produced the only Canadian League championship ever won by an American team. They helped pave the way for the return of the NFL with the advent of the Ravens in Baltimore.
Unfortunately, there will be no void filling for The Baltimore Examiner. The Examiner newspapers live on in Washington and San Francisco, but today’s economics have killed off their Baltimore sibling. The elan vital of the 11th floor of The Examiner building will not be duplicated. Superlative dedication and energy fueled a creativity that was the hallmark of a staff that really was a family. Going to meetings there was like going to a family reunion.
If we are finding out in these hard times that the quality of life experience is more important than owning Gucci, my time with The Baltimore Examiner is seriously upscale for me.
I’m going to miss the spirit and camaraderie. Fortunately for me I still have The Examiner experience to call on in the newly exciting city of Washington. But there will never be another time for me like the past three years as part of the Baltimore bunch.
There is still a closeness among the old Stallion staff when they cross paths in various ways. That closeness is created by making something important to a city out of raw materials. Hopefully The Examiner alums will be the same way in years to come. It was something that no one can ever take away.
Bob Leffler is the presidentowner of the Leffler Agency Inc. of Baltimore and Tampa, Fla. His firm has represented The Baltimore Examiner for its entire existence and continues to represent The Washington Examiner.
