Posted by madcityradio.com on October 06, 2008 at 19:53:43:
Foley to step down as State Journal editor
Ellen Foley is stepping down as the top editor of the Wisconsin State Journal, ending a four-year tenure in which the newspaper strengthened its Internet journalism and refocused its coverage of Madison in the face of industry challenges.
The first woman to lead the newspaper in its 156-year history, Foley took risks, allowing readers to choose one front-page story in most editions and emphasizing coverage of topics ranging from UW-Madison and economic development to sports and celebrities. Her decisions didn't always tickle traditionalists, but they did make the newspaper a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year — its first such honor.
Foley, 56, told staff Monday that she was stepping down effective Friday to seek another job in the area and spend more time with her family, including her husband, Tom, who has faced a harrowing fight with cancer this year. A national search will be conducted for her successor.
"Ellen Foley is a leader who has exceptionally high standards of quality and fairness, and she cares about and she has a heart for this region," said Jennifer Alexander, president of both Thrive, the region's economic development group, and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. "She's smart, she's accessible, and she's a real asset to this community."
Foley said she waited until after the newsroom had made it through a recent reorganization and buyout of several longtime staffers, and after her husband's cancer was declared in remission, to make her decision.
"Most people back off in the middle of a fight, and we journalists don't do that," Foley said. But, "I have watched my husband almost die twice in the last year, and that experience has led me to the conclusion that I need to start a new chapter in my life."
State Journal publisher Bill Johnston said he respected Foley's decision and hoped to name a new editor within two months.
"She's given her heart and soul to this organization. She's a dedicated journalist, and we will miss her," he said.
James L. Baughman, director of the UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, noted that Foley led the State Journal during a time in which newspapers around the country faced financial pressures and staff cuts as they struggled to hold onto their readers.
"She's had to take chances that an editor 30 or 40 years ago wouldn't have had to take," he said.
A recent newsroom reorganization included the shift of State Journal managing editor Tim Kelley to be the digital media manager at Capital Newspapers, which publishes both the State Journal and The Capital Times, and the elimination of his former position.
Former State Journal publisher Jim Hopson, who hired Foley, said she had done a good job of maintaining the quality of the paper in the face of challenges such as staffing cuts. He noted that she also launched the Capital Region Business Journal, a monthly publication aimed at business people and leaders.
Under Foley's direction, the newspaper put more emphasis on delivering breaking news and original content through its Web site. The State Journal displayed more photos and illustrations on its section covers and was willing to put nontraditional subjects such as sports on its front page, with Foley saying she wanted the paper to be considered "smart, warm and funny."
The newspaper drew national attention for allowing readers to choose a front-page story in the next day's paper from several possibilities posted each weekday on its Web site.
Foley didn't shy from taking risks personally — from talking frankly about her husband's illness to posting on the newspaper's Web site a recording of herself singing "On the Sunny Side of the Street" at a UW-Richland commencement ceremony.
"It was controversial," Foley said of her editorial approach. "But it signaled to a lot of readers that we were serious about giving them not just what we think they needed, but what they wanted."
The State Journal's daily circulation is now 101,600, up from 90,000 when Foley took over in 2004, said Phil Stoddard, circulation director for Capital Newspapers. The increase took place in the wake of The Capital Times ceasing daily print publication earlier this year, shifting many subscribers to the State Journal. Sunday circulation at the State Journal, the second-largest paper in the state, is about 139,000.
Earlier this year, the newspaper's staff were named Pulitzer Prize finalists for editorial writing for a crusade to scale back the exceptional veto powers of Wisconsin governors. The newspaper was also recently recognized by the Online News Association for a Web package on Madison's hip-hop scene, a combination of traditional and cutting-edge prizes in which Foley said she took pride.
Baughman said one strength Foley had in making her changes was a willingness to engage with readers. He gave the example of a colleague who complained to Foley about the paper devoting part of page A2 to coverage of national celebrities and was surprised to hear back from her personally on the decision.
"This guy was a convert," Baughman said.
Dr. Frank Byrne, president of St. Mary's Hospital, said he appreciated Foley's commitment to seeing news covered fairly and in depth, including stories such as a rejected state hospital tax proposal and the 2006 death of a 16-year-old patient at St. Mary's because of a nurse's error.
An award-winning State Journal series later probed how hospitals, medical device makers and others in the industry could work to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
"I thought that the paper did an outstanding job of taking the time to get it right," Byrne said.
Before coming to the State Journal, Foley worked for six years as the managing editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, and before that did stints at the Kansas City Star, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Detroit News and what was then the Milwaukee Sentinel.
Her husband was diagnosed in February with lymphoma, a cancer of the blood that in his case was centered in the brain. In late July, it was found to be in remission.
Foley said she is working on a book about the experience and wanted to be with Tom and their daughters, ages 20 and 23, both of whom live in Madison. She said she hopes to find work that will allow her to remain in the city, which she calls "Camelot."
"I will spend more time with my family," Foley told staff members. "This may be the first time in your career that you can truly believe this statement from a source who is resigning."
(Jason Stein, Wisconsin State Journal)