One of the great things about working in a newsroom is that you're surrounded by lots of smart people who love to tell you what they know. Just try to stop them. If I'd only known when I came to The Post as a baby reporter in my 20s that I could learn so much from co-workers instead of believing that I had to discover it all myself.

Some of those very smart colleagues have departed The Washington Post newsroom in recent years, many as a result of two buyouts that allowed longtime workers to leave on generous terms.