I met Southern Illinoisan publisher Dennis DeRossett yesterday. He's looking forward to new editor Gary Metro taking over the editorial reins. He said the job for the new Carbondale beat reporter is open again, since Kristen Cates has moved on. He spoke of Karen and Steve Binder returning to fold (which I knew already) , and the fact that The Southern is getting an expensive expansion, and he has a couple of hard hats to wear at work now. He said Gary Metro will be blogging as his predecessor, the suddenly vanished Bennett Surfless, had done. He said there'll be a "meet the new editor" shindig when Gary arrives, and I'm invited. I suggested he invite all the local bloggers as he was going out the door. I think I heard him say he would.
Ladies and gentlemen, it could be the dawn of a new age for local media. First, Great Marmaduke's Ghost appears on the blog portal -- and she never heard of a blog before; then Peter the Great writes about me in a recent Gregorian Rant (topic for a future post); and later the same day I meet the Southern's top guy and we snap a photo. I'm in blog heaven.
He came into my favorite local art gallery to speak with the owner about something for a wall in one of the rooms in his house. Because I was there, we talked.
Dennis thinks the new editor with the colorful name can get the job done. But can he get it done before the April 17 general election? Look more deeply into the campaigns and candidates as local bloggers Peter , Bob and I have done?
I didn't ask Dennis for a job.
2 comments:
Hard hat... I think he needs a helmet.
I think he needs to learn how to run a newspaper. The SI is in shambles.
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