LAYNE BRUCE

By ALANA DANDRIDGE Photo by ANTHONY WARREN

Layne Bruce is executive director of the Mississippi Press Association, and he has had many years learning the business.

From the age of nine, Bruce saw journalism firsthand, watching his father, Roy “Spanky” Bruce, editor and later publisher of the Daily Times Leader, his hometown newspaper in West Point, Mississippi.

By age 15, Bruce was working as a part-time photographer, and that early experience with journalism had an impact.

“I spent a lot of time at the office,” Bruce said. “It instilled in me a love for the business, and I don’t think I ever had any doubt in my mind that it was what I wanted to do when I grew up.”

He continued to work for the Daily Times Leader during his college years, attending Mississippi State University, where he studied communications.

However, tragedy struck in the spring of 1993 when he was in college. His father died suddenly, and the devastating loss resulted in his withdrawing from school that semester.

“I worried that maybe I needed to consider a different career path,” Bruce said.

By the next fall he had decided to continue working toward a degree in communications.

“I know my father would be proud that I got my act together,” Bruce said.

After graduation, Bruce served as a reporter for the Starkville Daily News, as publisher of The Star-Herald in Kosciusko and as editor and general manager of the Glasgow (Kentucky) Daily Times.

“For those who truly enjoy journalism and have a real curiosity about the community, the country and the world, there is no greater reward than that of doing a

good job on the story you’re reporting and seeing that work in print,” Bruce said. “It’s tangible evidence of your hard work and that is its own reward.”

Bruce joined the Mississippi Press Association (MPA) in 2006 as the director of marketing. A little more than a year later, he was named executive director, overseeing the management of MPA, Mississippi Press Services and the MPA Education Foundation.

“When I was a kid, one of my favorite things was to go to the Press Association convention each year in Biloxi,” Bruce said. “I met lots of interesting people.

“It tickled me to get the chance to join MPA and work with many of these same people on a daily basis representing them on a state and national stage.”

One of those people he met was Carolyn Wilson, then executive director of MPA.

Wilson said she knew Bruce from the time he was in high school because his father was her neighbor. “Layne wrote for several papers,” she said. “When he moved to Kentucky, we continued to keep in touch. I knew that he wanted to come back to Mississippi, so I would let him know about opportunities here.”

Wilson thought that being the marketing director for MPA would give him the opportunity to understand all aspects of the company and be beneficial for him to become the executive director.

“We discussed the possibility of my joining the association and learning the ropes of working for a trade group representing the newspaper industry,” Bruce said.

Later, Wilson confided in him that she was considering retirement.

“Layne was a natural to become director of the Mississippi Press Association,” said Allen Beermann, executive director of the Nebraska Press Association. “He had the training, background and experience to become an executive of a major press association, and he has advanced quickly to a position of national prominence.”

Greg Sherrill, executive director of the Tennessee Press Association, told how quickly he and Bruce collaborated: “Almost immediately the Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee press associations planned a large, joint convention.

“I was impressed with Layne’s attention to detail and willingness to help. Pulling off a large convention is no easy task — it requires definite business sense and people skills.”

Will Norton, Jr., dean of the Meek School of Journalism and New Media, expressed his astonishment at Bruce’s achievement.

“Most people don’t get to be at his level at that young of an age. He has great newspaper experience at the community level, and he has a respected national reputation.”

The Newspaper Association Managers tapped him for board service a few years ago. NAM is a professional organization composed of the executives of state, regional, national and international newspaper associations headquartered in the United States and Canada. As vice president of the board, Bruce chaired National Newspaper Week, an annual observance honoring the newspaper industry. He became president of NAM in August, succeeding Lisa Hills of the Minnesota Newspaper Association.

“All good things come to an end, as the saying goes,” Bruce said. “I just hope that when the time comes, I can look back and know that I left MPA in as good shape or better than I found it.

“I want MPA to be able to help our members meet the very real, very tough challenges of a changing landscape for the media. If I can look at what we’ve accomplished and be certain we provided some measurable help, then I’ll say it was a great job and worth all of the proverbial blood, sweat and tears.”

Bruce also had some advice for those interested in a career in journalism. He said it cannot be about the money, because very few get financially wealthy in the profession.

The author is a 2016 Meek School graduate from Como, Mississippi.