Newspaper people are not supposed to like TV people. We have a natural rivalry, on a lot of levels.
That doesn't matter when it comes to Sheinelle Jones. It's almost impossible not to like the congenial co-host of Fox-29's 'Good Day Philadelphia' show.
Today is Sheinelle's last day on the show. She has made the decision to interrupt her career to be home with her kids, which include a 4-year-old son and 19-month-old twins.
I don't blame her a bit.
I know the regret of a lifetime spent at work, away from family and a lot of crucial family events.
I've been in this racket for more than three decades. In that time, I don't I've ever read one obituary that said, "You know, I really wish I had spent more time in the office."
I felt a kindred spirit with Sheinelle because we had similar schedules. We both got up at God-awful times in order to get to the office and start the barely organized chaos that is reporting the day's news.
I had the luxury of being my normal grumpy, irritable, curmudgeonly self. Sheinelle never had that luxury. She never needed it.
TV people have to be cheery and bright. It goes with the territory when you're on camera, never more so than on that early-morning show.
With a lot of the "beautiful" people on TV, it seems fake. Never with Sheinelle.
Her teaming with Mike Jerrick was pure genius.
Granted, a lot of what they did every morning wasn't really news. But it was always fun. And always done in good spirit.
Whether poking fun of the Kardashians or Ryan Lochte, they were always guaranteed to bring a smile.
We could use a lot more smiles in this business these days.
Every morning I would depend on Sheinelle and Mike to lighten the load as I dredged through the ugliness that makes up so much of what we report every day.
I wish her well. And I want her to know she will be missed by at least one curmudgeonly editor.
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