The long road to success

Mike Yamanoto worked hard to get where he is

If you're trying to get a hold of Mike Yamamoto, city editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, expect to make many phone calls, leave quite a few messages and reschedule planned meetings. For editors at his level, few "slow" news days exist. Yamamoto, 34, sees his hectic lifestyle as more an achievement than a burden.

"I am the only person I know whose lifelong dream was to be the city editor at the San Francisco Chronicle," he says with a smile.

Yamamoto began the climb to his current position in 1979 while still attending SF State. That year, he took an internship at the Hayward Daily Review. After completing his internship, he was offered a part-time job at the paper. Yamamoto worked the early morning shift three days a week while taking 18 units.

"It was tough," he remembers. "I used to fall asleep at the copy desk. I usually had to take a nap in my car before I went to school."

In 1980, Yamamoto was awarded a Dow Jones Editing Internship. He served his summer internship in Long Beach at the Press Telegram. Upon returning to SF State in the fall, he joined the staff of the Phoenix Ñ a publication that merged with the Golden Gater in the mid-'80s - eventually becoming its editor-in-chief.

Yamamoto graduated in 1981 with bachelors degrees in both journalism and psychology. "I figured I was screwed up enough that I could take psych, but I became disenchanted with it and turned to journalism instead," Yamamoto says. "After looking at my units, I figured I might as well finish both."

After graduation, he took a chance and contacted the national-desk editor at the L.A. Times. "I wanted to go to a big-time paper and prove myself," he says. Yamamoto was encouraged by one of his teachers, Lynn Ludlow, who had offered to give him a good recommendation. "It is always best to go into an editor's office with a good recommendation behind you," Yamamoto says.

His efforts paid off. He was hired by the L.A. Times as a part-time copy editor on the national desk and was promoted to full-time a few months later.

In 1983, Yamamoto began teaching editing at Cal State Northridge. He admits he was a "horribly tough grader but fair."

After a few years, the L.A. Times sent Yamamoto to work at its Washington, D.C. bureau. While there, Yamamoto took part in covering the Iran-Contra hearings, the resignation of Ed Meese and a procurement scandal at the Pentagon. "I was very fortunate to get to work on some really good stories," Yamamoto says.

Yamamoto also taught at the American University while in Washington, D.C.

Although Yamamoto enjoyed his job at the Times, being a third-generation San Franciscan, he longed to return to the Bay Area. After a few years of back-and-forth discussion, in 1989, the Chronicle finally offered him a job as a deputy city editor. Though he had years of experience behind him, Yamamoto felt he "had to prove himself all over again."

In 1993, he was promoted to city editor, the position he holds today. He oversees nearly 100 reporters at the city and state level and, up to a year ago, was in charge of national coverage as well.

Yamamoto says a strong work ethic was a factor in achieving his ambitions. "I learned about hard work at a young age. I used to watch my father work behind a steam press at the dry cleaners they owned. The heat would be very intense, but he would keep on working."

Yamamoto believes hard work and dedication will help students get where they want to be. Yamamoto says students must be willing to pay their dues. He suggests that in order to accumulate clips they might have to take any opportunity that is offered and work on small papers. He also offers this advice to would-be reporters: "You have to learn to strike a balance in newswriting. In reporting, maintain a sense of the big picture and in writing pay attention to details."

Along with being the ChronicleÕs city editor, Yamamoto works hard within the Asian community, as a volunteer for various causes and as a senior member of the Society for Asian Journalists.

"It is important for a newspaper to reflect its community, and I feel the Chronicle serves it well," Yamamoto said. "It is my responsibility to be both city editor and management on one side and to be a minority who brings a certain perspective and sensitivity to the publication."