Late Call writer gets Hall of Fame nod
Longtime polticial reporter Jim Baron nominated for RI Journalism Hall of Fame
CUMBERLAND – The late Jim Baron, veteran columnist and political reporter for the The Times of Pawtucket and The Call of Woonsocket, has been nominated for induction into the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame.
Baron died on Jan. 5, 2015 at the age of 57. He began his career at The Times in the early 1980s, shortly after graduating from Syracuse University with a degree in journalism.
As he covered the doings of local pols and the issues of the day in his hometown during the early part of his career, Baron quickly earned a reputation as a pithy columnist who wrote with flair and humor. More recently, his work, including his signature
column, “Politics as Usual,” began appearing in both The Times and The Call as the two newspapers began operating as part of the same ownership group.
Baron was among three newspaper veterans nominated for the Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame’s Class of 2016 on Thursday by the Rhode Island Press Association. RIPA was supposed to approve the candidates at a meeting on Friday, but it was canceled because of the forecast for stormy weather.
Instead, members were polled and the selections were publicized via email to various members of the press association. In addition to Baron, Len Levin, retired chief of the copy desk at The Providence Journal, and Arlene Fleming, a retired features writer for The Providence Journal, were also nominated.
RIPA President Paul Spetrini said he expects the nominees to be officially inducted into the Journalism Hall of Fame within a few days.
“With the snowstorm today, we had to cancel our meeting where we would have likely voted them in without incident, but since we had to cancel and couldn’t officially do it at the meeting, we’re tallying a vote through e-mail,” he said. “All three will likely be inducted as a class. I imagine the decision will be made official by Monday.”
Born in Lincoln, Baron was married for 17 years to Denise Perreault of Cumberland, also a retired veteran of both The Times and The Call.
After covering his hometown for a few years, Baron turned his attentions to the State House and the whole gamut of politics and civic affairs, from government transparency and ethics laws to the nuances of individual campaign strategies.
“A classic old-school newspaperman who wrote with context, wit and great knowledge of legislative procedure” was how Rhode Island National Public Radio political reporter Ian Donnis described Baron upon his death.
Even the political figures who, from time to time, felt the sting of Baron’s trademark cut-through-the-baloney analysis said he was both tough and fair.