Parsons is new Recorder publisher
Brings 40 years of newspaper experience
The Porterville Recorder has a new publisher. Bill Parsons comes here from North Dakota with 40 years of newspaper experience. Parsons, who started at The Recorder on Monday, replaces longtime Publisher and Editor Rick Elkins, who retired in August of 2017. The Recorder is the 15th paper Parsons has published in nine different states. “It is a great pleasure to come to Porterville and Tulare County,” Parson said. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to be publishing such an outstanding newspaper as The Recorder.”
For Parsons this is a return to the Golden State after publishing newpapers in the Salinas Valley earlier in his career. He welcomes the opportunity to lead The Recorder’s team and become a part of the community.
“I certainly look forward to being involved in the community and meeting the readers and our many advertisers,” Parsons said. “I’ll be out and about visiting with community leaders and businesses, but I certainly want to invite our readers to come by The Recorder, stop in and say, ‘Hello.’ It would be my pleasure to meet you. You are always welcome in your hometown community newspaper.” Parsons has an extensive background in newspapers with 28 years of publishing experience at newspapers across the U.S. He was most recently publisher of the weekly Custer County Chief in Broken Bow, Neb., and publisher of the Times-record in Valley City, N.D.
Parsons has been active in civic clubs and community organizations throughout his career, including Rotary, Kiwanis, Jaycees, YMCA, Red Cross, United Way, state press associations and chambers of commerce.
Service to community has always been and will continue to be a focus for Parsons.
“One of my focuses for The Recorder is service to the community,” Parsons said. “I’ve always believed that the newspaper that does not serve its community does not have a reason to exist. The Recorder has served the people of Porterville and this county very well during its long history and I look forward to being part of the team that continues that tradition of service to our communities.”
Quality will be another focus for Parsons.
“Along with service to community, my other focus would be to continue the quality publications,” Parsons said. “My pledge to the community is that we will do our very best each day to produce for you the very best daily newspaper possible. Our readers deserve that and we will put forth every effort to deliver.”
Parsons, who is Tennessee native, began his newspaper career going door-to-door selling subscriptions. After a stint in circulation and ad sales, he became an ad director, a position he had for eight years. He took an opportunity to move into management as general manager for papers in Charleston, S.C., and his first publisher job was in Wyoming.
Parsons, after grieving the sudden loss of his wife four years ago, is recently engaged to childhood sweetheart, Linda, who he had not seen in over 40 years until 2017. He has adult children and grandchildren in Indiana, Tennessee and South Carolina.
A meet and greet for Parsons is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22, at The Recorder office, 115 E. Oak Ave.
Parsons can be reached at 784-5000, ext. 1040 or at bparsons@portervillerecorder.com.