Meet Enquirer’s Adam Baum, providing you complete coverage of Xavier

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Adam Baum

Position: Reporter covering Xavier men’s basketball since 2018. Prior to that, I worked in high school sports since 2007. 

Why I became a journalist

When I was a high school senior, I signed up for journalism because it was the last class of the day, and the classroom where it was held was right next to my parking spot. I had no idea I’d fall in love with it. My freshman year in college I was fortunate to land a job at The Enquirer, answering phones and taking box scores. I used to sit at my desk at night and in between phone calls I’d read the stories that would go in the newspaper the next day, and I started to believe that one day I’d be one of the people writing those stories. It’s a fond memory that I still think about today when I’m sitting at Cintas Center or Madison Square Garden covering a Xavier game. 

What I like best about my job

I enjoy getting to know people and forming relationships, and this job has allowed me to do that on a deep level. Aside from getting to tell their stories, it’s the most rewarding part of my job.

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A story I worked on that has had a lasting impact on me

I lost my dad unexpectedly in 2014, three weeks to the day after I became a full-time high school sports writer at The Enquirer. So in 2017, when I heard there was a baseball player at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy whose dad was battling cancer, I started working on a story that I had no idea would lead me where it did. The playoffs were one day away and Griffan Smith’s dad, Alan, who unfortunately lost his longstanding battle with cancer earlier this year, was admitted to the hospital with a number of problems. Griffan stayed at the hospital into the early morning hours on the day he was scheduled to be the Eagles’ starting pitcher. Before he left the hospital, Griffan promised his dad he would throw him a perfect game that day, and that’s what he did. Griffan now pitches at Ohio State University, and I think of him and his family often, and it makes me think of my dad and how much he would have loved that story.