So often, you hear journalists say "whatever happened to the homicide from xxx?" I'm not one of those journalists. I keep track of every story. I follow up. I persist. I don't even let the small details of a story go. No matter the story.

That's because there's nothing worse than having a viewer sit at home and think a newsroom does not care about following up and finishing a story. And timing does matter. The more a newsroom is on top of the stories, the more people will think the newsroom is reliable. It's just like a typical relationship: would you rather stick with a friend who only does a favor when you ask, or with a friend who already knows what that favor is before you even have to ask? Most would say the latter.

Even authorities can respect a journalist's persistence. I have gained the respect of several people in different positions of authority just by being persistent. They have come to know me by my consistent phone calls and emails. And by now, they know if I don't get a response via email, I will call until I get a response. Hence why most of them call me when they learn something new versus making me wait.

Thus, both the viewers and the newsroom succeed.