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Anne Krueger is a reporter who describes herself as "suspicious and skeptical of editors under the best of circumstances." You know the type -- a staffer unafraid to ask challenging questions of bosses, in person or at staff meetings, even if it makes some of them chalk her up as a malcontent.

Anne is 49. She's been at The San Diego Union-Tribune for 23 years, with plenty of stories to show for it.  She knows her territory -- from water woes to gay rodeos.

Last year, Anne wanted a challenge. She applied for an open editor's job -- and didn't get it. Not good news.  

On top of that, the job went to a rookie -- and an outsider rookie, at that.

The new boss was Alexa Capeloto, a 28-year old from the Detroit Free Press. She came armed with a reporting background, a love of journalism burnished by graduate study at Columbia -- and less than a year of editing experience. She took charge of a bureau of four reporters, including Anne.

This is the moment in the story where you might expect to read about an ugly confrontation -- where the curmudgeon trashes the kid.

The Kid and the Curmudgeon: Alexa Capeloto and Anne Krueger

Think again. Something very good happened instead. So good that it carries lessons for journalists of all ages and roles.

I know this only because of a recent Poynter article I wrote about young managers. In it, I wrote about the fears that haunt them; a constant, nagging inner voice I called the Fraud Finder, the voice that whispers, "This is the day they find out you don't deserve this job."  I invited feedback from journalists who work with young managers.

Most of the feedback I received was from managers of all ages who expressed relief that they weren't the only ones plagued by the godawful Fraud Finder. It seems self-doubt knows no age boundaries.

But one e-mail message cut through the others. It came from -- of all people -- Anne Krueger.  

She didn't discuss doubt. She wanted to testify on behalf of her youthful boss, and wrote:

I've come to respect her judgment, and she respects my ability to turn around a good story and my knowledge of the community. She's willing to try new things, and has good instincts on how to deal with reporters in our bureau and members of the public.

Part of the reason I wanted to become an editor was because I was getting restless as a reporter. She's encouraged my ideas, including a story that meant I got to take my first trip out of town in years. With her backing, my job has been quite fulfilling in the past few months.

I wrote back to Anne, telling her that message said as much about her as it did about her boss – and asked if I could tell their story. As it turns out, I already knew Alexa. She had attended a Poynter seminar for new managers last year, so the praise for her leadership didn't surprise me.  

But Alexa was both surprised -- and touched -- when Anne forwarded our correspondence and my request to her, with this typical Krueger message:

"I'm up for this if you want to do it (although it will destroy my reputation as a curmudgeon.)"

The not-such-a-curmudgeon reporter and the not-such-a-kid editor agreed to answer my five questions about working together, asking about:

• Their greatest fears as they began working together.
• Their early missteps, if any.
• What's working.
• Their advice for young editors.
• Their advice for veteran reporters.
  

Anne and Alexa replied separately, and took pains not to read each other's responses in advance. Here they are, side by side:

1.) What was your greatest fear as you approached your new reporter-editor relationship? What did you have to overcome?

Anne Krueger Reporter The Curmudgeon My greatest fear was that I'd have an editor who'd try to assert her authority and ignore input from people like me who know the area and the newspaper. My other nightmare was having an editor who didn't have the self-confidence to make decisions and worried about being second-guessed by her bosses. The biggest obstacle I had to overcome was not prejudging my new editor simply because she is 20 years younger than me. I had to set aside any temptation to make life difficult for her (and me) because I hadn't gotten the editing job. I decided nothing would be accomplished by being bitter, and to just start anew.

Alexa Capeloto Editor The Kid Anne was part of a bureau I took over in June 2005 after working in another state, so I felt more fear about the job than about any one person. I was nervous about being this stranger people suddenly had to answer to, and my age didn't help. Still, I'll never forget meeting Anne. She shook my hand and told me the previous editors had brought food to staff meetings. Would I? It caught me off-guard, but it was funny, too. I had all these bigger questions about what I would bring to the table, and she wanted to know – literally – what I would bring to the table. I guess it took the edge off. Snacks I could do.

 

2.) What, if any, missteps did you make?
Anne (reporter): When Alexa first came to the paper, we went out to lunch and I told her I had applied for her job. It was a very awkward conversation. Once we got past that, we got along fine.	Alexa (editor): I think my nerves sometimes got in the way in the beginning. Anne and I happen to work really well together, but I didn't know that at first. I thought and overthought how to suggest edits or talk over story ideas. I think I expected resistance and braced for it, when I should have just pushed that aside. I realized pretty quickly that you can't do your job that way.

 

3.) You must be doing a few things right. What's working for you?

Anne (reporter): It turns out that Alexa and I have similar news judgment, so I usually agree with her decisions on what stories we should and shouldn't pursue. I think our relationship works because it's based on mutual respect. When Alexa makes a decision, I understand the reasoning. If I disagree with her, we discuss it as equals. If her decision is later proved wrong, she isn't afraid to admit it. I respect her transparency throughout the process. She respects my experience and knowledge, and doesn't hesitate to ask for help when she needs it.

Alexa (editor): One issue was that Anne had applied for the job I was given. We went to lunch on one of our first days and talked about the awkwardness. It was better than pretending it didn't exist. I asked her why she'd wanted the editing job. She said she was looking for a change. I could understand that, so we started talking about trying some new things. I wanted to help her get what she was after, not be an impediment. I also learned from that talk that we have a lot of similar ideas about journalism, so that was something to build on.

4.) What advice do you have for young editors working with veteran staffers?

Anne (reporter): Don't try to be a young dictator. Acknowledge that you might have to turn for help from the reporters you supervise. Realize that every reporter is different and needs to be handled differently. Some want constant guidance and some prefer a more hands-off approach. And if you make a decision that doesn't work out, face up to it and then move on.

Alexa (editor): I'd say to respect the other person and what they offer. A reporter's experience helps them do good work, which helps you. But think about what you bring, too. If it's not long years of experience, maybe it's enthusiasm, or sharp instincts, or even just a fresh perspective. Believe in your strengths, respect those of the other person, and find a way to make them fit together. If it still feels awkward, talk about it instead of avoiding it.

5.) What advice do you have for veteran staffers working with young editors?
Anne (reporter): Don't make assumptions about an editor based solely on their age. Someone can be a good journalist at any age. Try to focus less on your generational differences than on what you both have in common -- putting together compelling stories for the newspaper.	Alexa (editor): Something similar—respect what the person has to offer. And have an open mind! If you can get past surface things like age, you'd probably discover all the things you have in common, all the ways you can help each other.

There are lessons aplenty in this story, as you can tell. Let me add one more that demonstrates Alexa Capeloto's understanding of leadership. Even a good news story like this can have unintended negative consequences, if the focus on one noteworthy partnership makes others in their bureau feel excluded. That, undoubtedly, is why Alexa finished a message to me with these words: "..for what it's worth, I enjoy working with everyone here, and I think about my relationships with them as much as I do with Anne. It's a great team."

Finally, for editors who fret over the staffers who seem to constantly question and challenge you -- I suggest you try getting closer to them, rather than keeping your distance. You might find out that they care about the place more than you think -- as I learned from Anne -- who noted: "I think I'm regarded as a malcontent. (I'm actually quite happy with my job, but I try to keep quiet about it.)"

Imagine that.