One Eye on the World

One Eye on the World takes readers on a serious yet humorous journey of the glory years of the newspaper industry. This was before the sad state of many faltering newspapers and the biased media in today's world. The book's title comes from the author, John L. Shields, losing one eye at one and a half years old. Having only one eye impacted John's life, but he turned it into a positive and was known for his unusual sense of humor. Throughout a career in several states-West Coast, East Coast, and in between-his path crossed with well-known entertainers, politicians, and news makers. Readers will find an interesting recounting of history, from John's birth in 1942 through the present. The author had a front row seat to some of the most dramatic changes in US history-events that changed the world.

Readers will ride along with someone who spent almost fifty years in newspapers as a newspaper carrier, circulation mail-room employee, reporter, sports editor, editor, supervisor for groups of newspapers, and CEO/publisher. Those years-from 1959 to 2007-were some of the most turbulent, and brought some of the most dramatic changes for the country, both good and bad.

John's stories give readers insight into a reporter-editor-photographer covering schools, tragedies, corruption, and human interest. These stories bring readers into the newsroom of daily newspapers, and how decisions are made.

John L. Shields picked cotton on a Texas farm as a child, establishing a lifetime work ethic. Starting from the bottom delivering newspapers and working in a mail room, John never thought he would become a journalist. Yet John went on to have a fifty-year career as a reporter, editor, publisher, and CEO for newspaper companies throughout the United States.