Jim Zachary, 59
Editor, The Valdosta Daily Times; CNHI Director of Newsroom Training and Development and CNHI Deputy National Editor, Valdosta, GA First journalism job: Reporting, typesetting and pasting up pages during high school for The Auburndale Star, Auburndale, Florida (1979).
What are some of the most important lessons you have learned working in the news industry?
Journalism matters. Truth-telling matters. What we do has always been essential and always mattered, but it has never been more important or mattered today. We must directly challenge misinformation with reliable, trustworthy news. In many of the community newspapers serve, the local newspaper may be the only reliable source of information. We must be diligent and prepared for the task. During my career, and especially in the last few years with CNHI, I have learned that we must respect and embrace our communities, report the news accurately, and provide solid but fair commentary. When we do those jobs professionally and responsibly, readers will continue to recognize the value of having a reliable, trustworthy news source and robust marketplace of ideas, even when they disagree with our editorial opinions or news coverage. In essence, our currency is our credibility, integrity and reliability.
What are your predictions for the future of news publishing?
Our past is our future. We must continue to evolve, embrace new technologies and, in many ways, reinvent ourselves. While we pivot our distribution and revenue models, we cannot abandon our long and important legacy of delivering reliable news, investigative and enterprise journalism and vital commentary while championing the public’s right to know. It is simply not true that young people do not care about the news. Our future depends on understanding that news always matters and matters to every segment of our communities, regardless of race, gender, orientation, age or income level. If we are to be successful, we must embrace diversity, equity and inclusion, not merely as a business strategy or initiative but as the centerpiece of our culture. My work at CNHI has been refreshing during my long newspaper career because it is a company that
embraces technology and prioritizes diversity, inclusion and equity while emphasizing the absolute importance of quality journalism and trustworthy news reporting. Regardless of the look and content of our digital sites and the emerging technologies we implement, journalists must be truthtellers, informing communities and championing the First Amendment.
During his 48 years in marketing and advertising, Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients. Since 2010, he has been a freelance/ contract content researcher and writer. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.