Michael Skube began his journalism career like many others, without a journalism degree. In his hometown of Springfield, Illinois, Skube began writing his sophomore year in high school as a sports journalist for his newspaper. He continued working full-time through two years of Springfield College. After two years, Skube transferred to Louisiana State University to gain his bachelors degree in political science.

Skube began his first job through an internship at U.S. Customs Services. To gain this position he had to take a test and be chosen from thousands of applicants. Skube became one out of seven applicants chosen. He relocated to Miami, Florida where he oversaw the work of employees.
In 1975, he decided he wanted to do more than what the U.S. Customs could offer. He began his freelance writing career writing for publications such as the New Republic Magazine, Washington Post, and Miami Herald. He continued working hard for 4-5 years, sending applications to publications across the nation.

In 1978, Skube joined the Winston-Salem Journal, covering legislature in Raleigh. He relocated to Raleigh, N.C.

In 1982, the Raleigh News & Observer brought Skube to the team. He wrote editorials for three years under Claude Sitton. In 1986, he became book editor and a column writer.

In 1988, Skube was recognized as runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Although he was disappointed with only second, Skube recalls it as a life lesson saying, “Students don’t realize that you lose sometimes.” Skube’s hard work and desire rewarded him with a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1989.

In 2002, Skube worked as a Louis B. Weil Professor of Journalism with a one-year fellowship at Indiana University. After completing the one-year professorship, Skube desired returning to North Carolina and applied to work at Elon University. Skube met with Dean Paul Parson and Brad Hamm and became a new professor for the School of Communications at Elon University beginning in the fall of 2002.

Skube remarks, “ I’m congenitally contrarian. I’m a person of many shortcomings, but I have a sense of what I’m about and there are things I do well.”

Michael Skube’s family consists of his wife, Elizabeth, and three children, Noah - 15, Alex - 12, and Daniel - 5.