ORIGINAL URL:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_8583925
New editor appointed to lead Oakland Tribune
Martin G. Reynolds, a Berkeley native, has served paper since 1995
By Chris Metinko, STAFF WRITER
Article Created: 03/15/2008 02:38:36 AM PDT
Martin G. Reynolds was promoted Friday to editor of the Oakland Tribune.
“Martin provides incredible leadership at the Tribune,” said Kevin Keane, vice president of news and executive editor at Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which includes the Oakland Tribune and its sister papers in Hayward, Fremont, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton and San Mateo. “He has a clear vision of the Tribune and the issues that face it.”
Reynolds, 39, grew up in Berkeley and started his career in journalism as a Chips Quinn intern at the Tribune in 1995. He’s been with the paper since then — as a metro reporter, assistant city editor and associate editor for special projects. Reynolds is a 2005 graduate of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education’s Media Academy at Northwestern University.
“It feels pretty surreal,” Reynolds said of being named editor. “When you think about following in the footsteps of a lot of the great journalists who have come through the Tribune, it’s amazing.”
Reynolds has served as managing editor since November 2006, leading the newspaper’s staff on a series of projects and initiatives, including The Chaun-cey Bailey Project, an ongoing investigative series looking at the circumstances surrounding the slaying of the Oakland Post editor and the issues that led up to his slaying.
Reynolds also was a lead editor in the Not Just A Number project, an award-winning online journalism project that strove to show the impact Oakland’s increasing murder rate is having on families and neighborhoods.
Reynolds said he would like to see the Tribune reaffirm its ties to the area, as well as provide solutions to some of the city’s problems.
“I see us having a much greater connection and presence in the community,” Reynolds said. “I would like to see us have a conversation with the community instead of a talking to the community.
“I also believe, as a newspaper, we have a responsibility to present some solutions to problems through a solution-oriented approach to reporting,” Reynolds added.
Reynolds also has worked with University of California, Berkeley, and San Francisco State University to develop profess-ional mentoring and work programs for graduate and undergraduate journalism students.
Keane said Reynolds has a passion for Oakland and a unique ability to show how issues such as crime, government and other urban issues affect people.
“Martin already has made great strides at the Tribune,” Keane said.
Reynolds added that although the Tribune, like many newspapers across the country, is going through some financial problems as the industry changes its focus, he believes great things will come from the Tribune and its staff.
“We’re at a very tumultuous time in the industry,” Reynolds said. “But I’m proud to work with great journalists and my great editing team. They are part of what we believe will be something special.”
Reynolds, who lives in Oakland with his fiancee, Caitlin, and their children, Ani and Mahari, will continue to serve as an assistant managing editor for news for Bay Area News Group-East Bay. Pete Wevurski, who previously held the title of editor of the Tribune, will continue as managing editor of BANG-EB.
Contact Chris Metinko at 510-763-5418 or cmetinko@bayareanewsgroup.com.