Published Tuesday, April 3, 2001
McGuire ready to tackle economic struggles, diversity, readership
BY ANGELIQUE SOENARIE
ASNE Reporter
Tim J. McGuire started his career in journalism 33 years ago, delivering papers. Now, as he becomes the president of ASNE this week, his challenge will be to deliver solutions to the country’s newspaper editors.
"I think it is a tremendous honor and opportunity to lead a society of editors that are committed to helping each other. I think this is the greatest industry in the world," he said. The editor of the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis, Mr. McGuire said he thought a career in journalism would be a "tremendous opportunity" to affect society in fundamental ways.
As Mr. McGuire takes the helm, his priority will be to help editors deal with reductions in newsroom staff due largely to the nation’s slowing economy, he said.
He also will appoint committees that will focus on newsroom diversity. Mr. McGuire said having a diverse staff is essential in a newsroom, which needs to reflect its community demographics.
Mr. McGuire said ASNE, especially during the slowdown, needs to help editors "deal with the challenge. The important challenge we face is improving the diversity numbers. I think we have to put a new emphasis on retention."
Building readership will also be a priority for him. As ASNE vice president, Mr. McGuire was heavily involved with the group’s readership committee, whose survey will be released Wednesday at the group’s national convention. "We need to seize on the readership studies and learn what we can from it," he said.
In helping other editors improve their newspapers, he encourages them to lead creative newsrooms. He said a creative newspaper engages its readers and helps present stories through photos and graphics.
To that end, he said he will add a Craft and Development committee to ASNE to provide training at newspapers. Mr. McGuire said the committee will be composed of experts who will help newspapers improve their writing, photography, graphics and editing.
He said editors have to communicate well with their staffs and know what their goals and constraints are. Editors have "to constantly think about the needs around them," Mr. McGuire said.
But he said that editors are ultimately responsible for newspapers’ quality and image in their communities. As their newsrooms’ leaders, they must be willing to account for their responsibilities and enjoy decision-making, Mr. McGuire said.
