Gilbert Bailon, publisher and editor of Al Día and president of the American Society of Newspapers Editors, and hall of fame recipient for the Network of Hispanic Communicators announced today that he is leaving Al Dia and The Dallas Morning News, effective November 9 to become the new editorial-page editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
From the "St. Louis Post-Dispatch" ...
"We are very fortunate to have a journalist of Gilbert's caliber leading our editorial page, building the newspaper's long-standing tradition of advocacy for our region," said Post-Dispatch publisher Kevin Mowbray in announcing the appointment today.
Bailon, 48, said the editorial staff "will continue to build on our vital role as public servants in a free society and to help the readers stay informed to improve their lives."
Before joining the Morning News there, he was a reporter for the Los Angeles Daily News, the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Read the story in the paper and Gilbert's plans
1 comment:
UPDATE -- Complete story
New chief takes helm of editorial page at P-D
By Tim O'Neil
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Tuesday, Oct. 23 2007
St. Louis — Gilbert Bailon, who starts work Nov. 13 as editorial page editor of the Post-Dispatch, says he wants to create more "interaction with the
community," both on the editorial pages and the newspaper's website.
Bailon said he wants the editorial staff to find and publish more guest columns "from people in the community who have things of value to say."
The Post-Dispatch commentary page, next to the editorial page, already publishes the work of 15 regular outside contributors, as well that of many
other occasional guest columns, in addition to those of syndicated columnists and editorial staff writers.
"Every newspaper has letters to the editor," he said. "My charge is to take what is already a strong editorial page and make for more involvement in the community, more visibility of our presence in the community."
Bailon, 48, comes to St. Louis from Dallas, where he has been editor and publisher since 2003 of Al Día, a Spanish-language publication of The Dallas
Morning News. He joined the Morning News in 1986 as a general assignment reporter and rose to executive editor, a job he held from 1998 to 2003.
He will replace Christine Bertelson, a former Post-Dispatch columnist and reporter who had been editorial page editor since 1997. Bertelson now serves as deputy managing editor for features.
Bailon is a native of Arizona, a grandson of immigrants from Mexico, and grew up in Tempe. He graduated from the University of Arizona in 1981 with a journalism degree. He worked as a reporting intern at the Kansas City Star after graduating. He also has a master's degree in history from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Bailon said he plans "no dramatic shift" in the long-standing liberal tradition of the Post-Dispatch editorial page but said, "We always should examine why we take the positions we do. A good editorial page is not entirely predictable."
He said the Post-Dispatch Platform, written in 1907 by founder Joseph Pulitzer and run daily atop the editorial page, "is a great statement of what a
newspaper should strive to be."
Bailon will report directly to publisher Kevin Mowbray, who said the newspaper is "very fortunate to have a journalist of Gilbert's caliber leading our editorial page, building the newspaper's long-standing tradition of advocacy
for our region."
Mowbray introduced Bailon to the editorial staff on Monday.
Bailon is serving a one-year term as president of the American Society of
Newspaper Editors. He also has been active in the National Association of
Hispanic Journalists, the National Association of Minority Media Executives and
other professional organizations.
Before joining the Dallas Morning News, he worked as a reporter for the Los
Angeles Daily News, the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram.
He is divorced and has two college-age sons who live in the Dallas area.
Post a Comment