COLUSA, CA (MPG) – Veteran columnist Bob Dunning shared stories from more than five decades in journalism during a talk at the Friends of the Colusa County Library annual meeting Feb. 24 at the Colusa County Library.
Dunning spent 55 years writing for the Davis Enterprise, where he became known for his long-running local column and commentary on life in Davis and the surrounding region. During his visit to Colusa, he spoke about how he entered the newspaper business, the discipline of daily deadlines and how journalism has changed in recent years.
Friends of the Colusa County Library member Cynthia White introduced Dunning, noting that many readers in the region followed his writing for years.
“Generally, we have an author who would talk about whatever book is currently available, but this year we have Bob Dunning formerly of the Davis Enterprise,” White said.
Dunning told the audience he never planned to become a journalist. While attending UC Davis law school, he walked into the Davis Enterprise office looking for a job and was hired as sports editor, despite having little writing experience.
“I had no experience and I couldn’t show them any writing examples,” Dunning said. “But they hired me anyway.”
He began covering UC Davis athletics and local high school sports before eventually writing columns in addition to his reporting duties. Over time his column expanded beyond sports and focused more on community life, local politics and personal reflections.
Dunning said one lesson he learned early in his career came from a sign posted in the newsroom.
“Deadline is a writer’s best friend,” he said, explaining that the pressure of daily publication forces writers to finish their work and move on to the next story.
For decades he wrote multiple columns each week while continuing to cover sports and local events. He said the routine of producing columns regularly helped him develop ideas and find stories in everyday life.
Dunning also shared stories from covering UC Davis athletics, including a dramatic football game in 1971 when the Aggies rallied in the final seconds to defeat Hayward State.
“That’s the most remarkable comeback I’ve ever seen,” he said while recounting the final plays of the game.
After 55 years with the Davis Enterprise, Dunning said he was laid off as newspapers across the country faced shrinking staff and changing business models. Soon after, his family encouraged him to continue writing by publishing his column online at thewaryone.com.
Dunning said the move allowed him to continue writing for readers who had followed his column for years. His Substack page now features both free and subscriber content, with most columns still available at no cost.
The platform also allows him to see how many readers view each column and interact with comments from subscribers.
Despite the changes in the media landscape, Dunning said writing a column remains one of the most rewarding parts of his career.
“It’s a great joy when you put that last period on a column,” he said.