Star circulation man valued biz news editorial

Bill Schadewald, the former editor of the Houston Business Journal, writes about Gary Green, a circulation sales employee at the paper who is retiring.

Schadewald writes, “Gary would also tell stories about growing up in Memphis, like the time he loaned his jacket to another kid, and how Elvis Presley never gave the jacket back.

“We sometimes got together for an informal review of the editorial product. Reader feedback in the circulation sales department was a reliable indicator of how the newsroom was doing, for better or worse. Gary’s personal insights, based on actual sales calls, carried more weight than reader surveys and circulation reports in determining editorial direction at HBJ.

“No matter what the numbers were, Gary regarded editorial content as his strongest selling point. Five minutes with Gary, and I felt like buying a subscription myself.”

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