One of my early newspaper editors instructed me to simply walk past the guard at the jail and ask for a direct comment from the guy behind bars. When I returned to the newsroom without the quote, the editor asked, "What happened? Wasn't the guard asleep? He's always snoozing on the job."

I confessed that instead of sneaking past him, I gently shook the guard awake and asked if I could talk to the prisoner. Of course, he said no, and now I was in trouble with my boss. "Don't ever ask permission," the editor roared. "You can always beg forgiveness later."

I'm pretty sure it was the only aspect of his Jesuit education that stayed with that disagreeable old editor. Actually, it's a pretty good lesson that's remained with me through the years, as well.

A recent incident reminded me of the exchange. When I bumped into a TV reporter friend over the holidays, he complained that he couldn't seem to get close to the new Presque Isle Downs in Summit Township. "Every time we ask to come out and shoot some footage, they put us off," he said. "Are you having the same problem?"

Actually, not, because when I wanted to get a look at the new facility, which is quite impressive, I simply drove through the gates, across the bridge and up to the front door.

"You mean you didn't arrange anything in advance?" my TV friend asked. Well, no, because the answer might have been no.

As it was, I got only a quick look around before a security guard drove up and asked what I was doing. When I told her, she said, "You're not supposed to be here, sir, and I'm afraid you'll have to leave."

Trying to talk her into letting me stay a bit longer, I said, "Nobody said anything when I drove in."

"That's because we thought you were making a delivery, sir," she replied.

It was the second important lesson I learned in the newspaper business: Always act like you belong. "Don't let anybody push you around," the boss snarled. "Act like you own the place -- like you belong there."

Those bits of advice seemed a bit basic back then, but they've served me well in the newspaper business for a lot of years.

-- Kevin Cuneo