Exit interview: After 5 decades in journalism, Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Randy Furst retires
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For the first time in 52 years, Minnesota Star Tribune Reporter Randy Furst doesn’t have to think about whatever story he’s going to cover for the day.
Furst retired Feb. 14 after a career as a general assignment reporter while also finding time to do investigative work — for which he was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize. Furst joined Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer for an exit interview to reflect on his time in the industry.
How do you feel?
It feels great. You know, it’s amazing. I was a little tentative about the idea that I was finally gonna call it quits, but, you know, I’m kind of excited.
Journalism is a tough job and people often exit quickly. What led to your longevity?
I’ve been in a 12-step program for the last 23 years, and one of the advantages of that is you learn a bit of humility, one of which is that sometimes your editors may be right and you aren’t. And so I came to appreciate what they did and what other people did, and it’s helped me along the way. So I’ve kind of outlasted some of my good colleagues, who, for various reasons, decided enough was enough.
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What’s your philosophy for drawing someone out during an interview?
I often would repeat back to them what they said … for me to understand what they’re driving at … And so rather than act like I know it all, which I don’t, just kind of keep digging and trying to understand what they’re saying. And if they say something that isn’t clear to me, to press them harder to explain what exactly it is they’re talking about.
As a journalist, you meet a lot of people. Did anyone leave an impact on your life?
Early on, I got a chance to know a young man who was the president of [United] Steelworkers on the Iron Range — the biggest local on the range, Local 1938. I got to appreciate where he was coming from, but also just the kind of conditions that steel workers faced. It gave me an appreciation for labor unions that was not theoretical. It resulted in a number of stories and eventually a lasting friendship.
You’ve had a front-row seat to how the newspaper business has changed over time. What do you make of it?
Oh jeez, it has totally changed. I mean, when I went to work we had typewriters. It was a shock when they announced that we wouldn’t use typewriters anymore. I kept my old typewriter sitting next to my desk for two years, believing that it would come in handy, and eventually, they rolled it away.
I mean, the technology just kept coming and coming. At one point, there were something like 450 union printers at our newspaper — the largest single union in the plant. Now there are none. It was a struggle, because they keep changing the systems that we use. You know, the new software on top of new software on top of new software.
Editors used to sit young reporters near me, I think, under the theory that they could listen to me working on the phone and so forth and learn something. But over a period of time, I found that these young people taught me more than I taught them, because they understood everything [that] was going on, all the technology.
What might you miss most?
Well, I guess two things. One would be, obviously, the interchange with colleagues. Now there isn’t as much as it used to be because, since COVID, there are a lot of people who aren’t in the office … But I have continued to come in every day, and I'm going to miss that.
I’m also going to miss the opportunities to dig into issues that are of concern to people. You know, so many people over the years bringing stories in situations that merit reporting — sometimes exposure, sometimes compassionate reporting on a particular issue or somebody being victimized. Now, if anybody calls me up, I have to say, “OK, well, I can pass you on to somebody else.” I’m not going to be there for that, for those people.
On the other hand, I hope to do some, you know, a little bit of writing on my own that perhaps can be of use to folks.
Listen to the conversation by clicking the player button.
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