Media Movers: Newsday’s James T. Madore

Some journalists hop from publication to publication trying to find their fit. Then there’s James T. Madore, who got a position at Newsday back in 1996 and knew that he’d found his. He has used his longevity to cover numerous beats — he’s even served as a bureau chief —  and champion new platforms, activities that keep his enthusiasm about Newsday a 10 out of 10.

He’s a dogged reporter with an enviable attention to detail, but he’s also incredibly kind. It is impossible to leave a conversation with him and not feel better about yourself, something I’ve been lucky enough to experience several times over the years. That’s a combo that few journalists ever master.

I chatted with James about his memories of writing for tourists, why his master’s degree was worth it and the skills he’s currently working to master:

Dawn Wotapka: Tell me about your current role.

James Madore: I report on the economy of Long Island, which is home to nearly 3 million people and had a gross domestic product of $180 billion in 2021. About 90% of the businesses here are small, and many of my articles are about the ups and downs of entrepreneurs. I also cover economic development as part of reporting on the relationship between business and government.

Dawn: You’ve spent more than 25 years with the same newspaper. Wow. Why have you stayed at the same place?

James: Opportunity. I’ve had the chance to grow as a journalist since joining Newsday on Dec. 2, 1996, though it doesn’t feel like I’ve been here for a quarter of a century. I’ve covered multiple beats and produced content for multiple platforms. During the pandemic, for example, Business Editor Margaret Corvini gave me the opportunity to dig deep into the Paycheck Protection Program loans, COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and other federal and state relief for businesses.

That led in March 2020 to the launch of Newsday Live! webinars, where I served as moderator, ensuring that business owners got answers to their COVID-related questions from a panel of experts. Newsday Live! has since expanded to other topics, including education, entertainment and health care, with coworkers serving as moderators. Since the March launch of NewsdayTV, which is a streaming service, I’ve been contributing to the presentation of business stories on the four-weekday newscasts.

Dawn:  You also spent time as a government reporter and Albany bureau chief. How do you use those experiences as a business reporter?

James: When I was named Albany bureau chief, I’d been a business reporter at Newsday for nearly 10 years and that experience helped tremendously as I covered one state budget crisis after another during the Great Recession. I felt comfortable pouring over budget bills, interviewing economists and budget directors, and covering state finances from an economic as well as a political perspective. I still review the governor’s proposed budget and then the adopted budget every year because there’s always a good business story or two buried in the thousands of pages. Another takeaway from my years in the state Capitol is recognizing that whenever a private business interacts with the government, there’s an opportunity through FOIA to learn more about that business.

 Dawn:  What got you into journalism?

James: In grade school, I started a weekly newspaper for tourists visiting Stoddard, New Hampshire — where my family has spent the summer for decades — and the surrounding communities. The Stoddard Crier started as one-page printed on an old mimeograph machine but soon became four-to-six pages printed professionally. The Stoddard Crier had six regular issues and a special edition for the popular Cheshire County Fair. The free paper was supported by advertisements, which I sold to tourism-related businesses, and quarts of strawberries that I picked and sold on weekends with my mother, Alice Danes Madore. My articles were about events, historic sites and notable individuals. I designed and laid out the pages, picked up copies from the printer and left them at distribution points in southwestern New Hampshire.

Dawn:  How did you end up on Long Island?

James: Juan Forero, a classmate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism School, suggested to Richard Galant, the Newsday editor overseeing business news in 1996, that he contact me about a job opening. Juan had worked with me at The Buffalo News before joining New York Newsday. I did a one-week tryout in Newsday’s Melville newsroom and was offered the job of retail reporter.

Dawn:  What led to your decision to get a master’s degree?

James: At Washington University in St. Louis, I studied history and political science and worked for Student Life, the independent student newspaper, for four years. But at the time, I viewed journalism as a hobby and planned to be a lawyer until I did poorly on the LSAT. After conversations with my parents, history professor Richard W. Davis and Chancellor William H. Danforth, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in journalism. I applied to Columbia J-School because it’s in Manhattan and didn’t require me to take the GRE.

Dawn:  Was it worth it?

James: Definitely. At Columbia, I learned about the vital role that journalism plays in a democratic society, the importance of accuracy, ethics and objectivity, and always to make that last telephone call for an article. My formal training helps convince reluctant sources to trust me with their stories. In addition, I gained lifelong friends during my year on Morningside Heights.

Dawn:  You’re very active with SABEW. Why have you stuck with it?

James: The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, or SABEW, is my journalistic home, where I continue to learn new skills through the annual conference, monthly virtual training sessions and fellowship programs. It’s important to grow professionally and SABEW is an avenue for doing that. I lead the Finance Committee and serve on the Executive Committee and the First Amendment Committee, which advocates for press freedom. SABEW will mark its 60^th anniversary in 2024, and I want to make sure it’s around for future generations.

Dawn:  What do you teach the younger journalists that you work with?

James: Get out of the office! The quotes are always better from an in-person interview, and you gain a better understanding of a company if you take a tour of its facility. In addition, I pass along the advice of my father, Dr. Normand W. Madore: “Be humble.” I believe that I’m only as good as my last story.

Dawn: What do you learn from them?

James: How to find potential sources via social media. Using AI to transcribe interviews. Reporting stories for television.

Dawn:  What story stands out to you the most?

James: In 2004-’06, I was one of the lead reporters in a Newsday investigation of how the newspaper inflated its circulation by nearly 100,000 copies on weekdays and Sundays, and fraudulently doubled the circulation of Hoy, a sister Spanish-language paper. As a result, advertisers were overcharged $90 million. Newsday wasn’t the only newspaper to inflate its circulation, but it stood out by disclosing to readers, in more than one million words over many stories, the criminal conspiracy that had taken place. The stories led to the indictment and conviction of six Newsday and Hoy employees. I remember telling then-Newsday editor Howard Schneider that a reader had called me to say he couldn’t believe that I still had a job after helping to lay bare the scandal. Schneider responded, “Newsday is always investigating others for wrongdoing. We must do the same when we are in the wrong. How else do we maintain our credibility with readers?”

Dawn:  What’s the one story that you’d love to tell?

James: I’m in the midst of it now: How government relief programs saved many businesses during the coronavirus pandemic but also led to unprecedented fraud.

Dawn:  Talk to me about your life outside of the newsroom. What do you do for fun?

James: I enjoy going to the beach and walking on the boardwalk, which is steps from my Long Beach, N.Y., home. I’m also in Manhattan weekly to see friends, visit museums or go to a show. Since 2021, I’ve been able to spend a couple of months each year in New Hampshire with my Dad, who turns 97 in June.

Dawn:  What’s next for you?

James: I want to improve my skills in building databases and making TV appearances. I’d like to try teaching journalism part-time at a university. I’m researching a couple of ideas for a possible book. Also, I’m seeking donations for the Fund for Student Journalism at Washington University, an endowment initiative that I established two years ago to help sustain Student Life, which is independent from the university and the oldest paper in Missouri.

Dawn Wotapka is a former Wall Street Journal reporter who loves to read and write. She lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children. She is a slow runner and an avid Peloton user. To submit tips for her Media Movers column, you can contact her at dwotapka@gmail.com.