Alex Machaskee.(strategy for Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper)

Inside Business, October, 2001 by Benson, Melissa

Alex Machaskee's love of Cleveland has fueled his passion for the city's news.

Alex Machaskee's journalism career began at age 14, when he was injured playing sports but could not relinquish his love of athletics. A coach suggested that he talk to someone at his hometown paper, the Warren Tribune, about working for the sports section.

So Machaskee put on his father's Aberdeen topcoat, slathered "slick-em" in his hair to make himself look older and headed to the paper to ask for a job covering local sporting events.

Soon, he had a nonpaying gig covering high school basketball games.

By the time he was a sophomore, Machaskee was working 20 hours a week for the paper; 30 hours as a junior. Among his assignments was the 1954 World...