Writer. Editor. Photographer.
My editorial in the November 2026 Editor & Publisher:
To read our November cover story profile of Max Lederer Jr., E&P’s News Executive of the Year, click on the following link: https://www.editorandpublisher.com/stories/courage-under-fire-veteran-publisher-and-protector-of-the-free-press,264267
In honor of the reporters all around the country who have risen to the challenges of Election Day and Election Night reporting, here’s a revisit of E&P’s October 2026 cover story.
This was a fascinating assignment to work on: to speak with newsrooms around the country — small to large, nonprofit to for-profit, whatever the platform — and learn about how they were preparing for and deploying on Election Day. I marveled at the meticulous planning that goes into this coverage, particularly for smaller outlets with just a few reporters tasked to this and so many other stories unfolding in their communities.
At the link, you’ll read about four of those newsrooms: Votebeat, The Daily Beast, The Associated Press and The Salt Lake Tribune.
I loved writing this September News Media Profile, about a small newspaper publisher in the Pacific Northwest that’s doing big things. You won’t find the publisher, Matthew Nelson, traveling to industry events or competing for the latest technological innovations. Instead, he’s opted for an “old school” approach to community news publishing: print and mail. That commitment to print has been integral to the company’s growth.
After 49 years in journalism, William McDonald’s recent retirement was well-earned. For the past 20 years, McDonald was The New York Times’ obituaries editor. In July, E&P spoke with him about his remarkable career; how the obituaries team operated; and his thoughts on life and death.
Read on at Editor & Publisher:
Local newsrooms around the country continue to grapple with challenges related to audience, business models and revenue. Many lack the dedicated personnel and expertise to plan and manage new strategies. That’s the disconnect the Lenfest Expert Network (LEN) intends to bridge.
This year, the News-Gazette team — a staff of 16 full-timers — found a new way to develop its audience, serve the public, extend the reach of its journalism and innovate on a new platform. In January 2026, it launched News-Gazette Radio.
Presidents critical of the press aren’t new, but Trump’s tactics represent a significant escalation. At the link, read my conversation about the White House’s online “burn book,” with Christoph Mergerson, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism.
#Trump #FirstAmendment #newsmedia #journalism
50 States, 50 Fixes: How local climate solutions are resonating across America — my conversation with The New York Times’ Climate Editor Lyndsey Layton.
#NYTimes #climate #localnews
Chris Reen is Editor & Publisher (E&P) Magazine‘s Publisher of the Year.
Chris Reen is honored for his approachable optimism, reverence for journalism and a record of innovation, resilience and service to community.
QUICK READ: How top journalists protect sources and turn secrets into stories
Read at the link or in the September 2025 Editor & Publisher print edition:
