The world of insurance journalism is losing two of its most prominent, talented and dedicated players with the retirements of Steve Piontek, editor of NU's life and health insurance edition, and Daniel Hays, our own outstanding online news editor.
Mr. Piontek, who was here when I arrived at NU back in 1981, retired on April 30, a day short of his 30th anniversary. I have always admired Steve for his relentless honesty and integrity, as he time and again boldly challenged conventional wisdom in the industry.
Steve was never afraid to speak truth to power in both his lively and provocative columns and more recently via his blog. His signature moment came when he ran an editorial back in the mid-1990s calling for insurers to support gun control efforts for the health and safety of their policyholders.
The insurance industry can be a conservative bunch, and the howls of protest were loud when this editorial ran (picked by the following week by this publication). We even received a death threat credible enough to warrant police protection.
However, Steve did get a pat on the back in the form of a letter from none other than Sarah Brady, wife of James Brady, who was shot during the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan in 1981. Mrs. Brady praised the "courageous" stand Steve took against popular opinion among his readership. This episode is just one example of how Steve told his readers what he thought they needed to hear, never just what they wanted to hear.
Steve could never be mistaken for an apologist for the insurance industry. But while he riled his readers regularly with controversial views, his principles echoed those of our founder, E.J. Wohlgemuth, who wrote over a century ago that "NU believes the best interests in the insurance business are served by taking the stand of the public," adding that the industry "can only be successful if conducted on the basis of the truest and best service."
Mr. Wohlgemuth went on to say that this stance "has kept NU from being a mere paid organ of special interests. Its policies are based on the broad foundation of good citizenship and the recognition that insurance…exists primarily not for the people who are engaged in it, but for the people whom they serve."
Mr. Wohlgemuth would have been proud of the way Steve sustained his legacy in his stalwart stewardship of one of NU's flagship publications. It has been an honor and privilege to serve with him.
Much of the same praise can be heaped on Dan Hays, who has tirelessly tracked down thousands of leads over the years to keep our print and online readers fully informed. Like Steve, Dan is no toady, striving to hold industry leaders accountable for their actions.
Dan is an old-fashioned newspaperman who was able to make the leap into the world of online journalism and excel in new media. We appreciate the way he kept pushing us to go deeper into stories, to get additional sources or documents, and most of all to beat the competition.
Web traffic has grown exponentially under Dan's leadership. His nose for news and ability to craft compelling copy under tight deadlines will be sorely missed by his staff and readers when he retires on May 13.
Steve and Dan have set high standards for the rest of us to follow, and for their leadership and friendship, we honor them.
Sam Friedman
Editor In Chief
You can respond to this column on Sam's May 4 blog entry at www.NUSamSoapbox.com. Follow Sam on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NUSam.
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