"What's the best story here?" "What's the story about?" Sometimes he'd get an answer from a staffer, but press again: "OK, but what's the story really ABOUT?"

Joel Rawson, executive editor of the Providence Journal, met with 27 newsroom reporters, editors and photographers Monday, and challenged us to dig a little deeper, go a little farther, with our reporting and writing.

He used as examples several articles from our newspapers that we'd sent him prior to his training visit. He liked most of them, but also felt like some had potential that our reporting hadn't fully developed.

For example, a recent, follow-up story about a 51-year-old man who died in the bathroom at the Augusta Police Department headquarters was published with a photo of the man, when he was just 17, and the woman who would become his wife (and ex-wife).

Joel saw the contrast beteween a photo that showed so much promise and a death that left so little dignity. When he asked what the best story was in this case, we knew what he had in mind: How did this man fall so far? Had we taken the time to talk to old friends, teachers, even cell mates (the man had done considerable jail time), what would they have told us?

Joel had a laid-back and even professorial approach with our staff. But he insisted that we strive for excellence in what we do. As the editor of the 69th-largest paper in the U.S., one that has won four Pulitzer Prizes over the years, and should have won one for its coverage of The Station nightclub fire a few years back, Joel knows what setting high standards can do for a newspaper.

We thank him for coming to central Maine Monday and helping us raise that proverbial bar.