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Hello New Bedford!
I’m thrilled to be The Light’s new executive editor and even more excited to be a part of this dynamic and divergent community. Thank you to those who have already welcomed me with stories of your connection to and your history with this fascinating, multilayered city.
The New Bedford Light is an astonishing example of what people can accomplish when they are passionate about a shared goal. In this case, our founders recognized the need for a strong independent news organization to deeply report factual stories that give context to developments in our city, region, state, nation and world — stories that explain how laws, policies, decisions and government action (or inaction) affect you. Our reporters and editors are intensely dedicated to questioning, researching, and vetting information to provide you, our readers, with a comprehensive account of the most important issues of the day.
Every single person at The Light is dedicated to safeguarding democracy, and now I am privileged to work alongside them to fulfill this mission.
Journalism has been my life’s passion since interning for my hometown newspaper in West Warwick, R.I., in the 1970s and returning several years later as its editor. This mill town had many of the same qualities as New Bedford — a vibrant community of people whose families had immigrated to the United States for a better life, my grandparents and great-grandparents among them. It was a true melting pot with a medley of festivals, food and cultures — a wonderful place to grow up. It also had its economic, housing and education challenges. And our news team dutifully reported on all of it.
During the last four decades, I’ve gained a lot of journalism management experience at New England news organizations, including The Call in Woonsocket, R.I., and The Providence Journal, where I worked for almost 20 years, four of them as executive editor. I also spent a lot of the last three decades teaching journalism at various institutions of higher education, including Northeastern University, the University of Rhode Island, Emerson College and, most recently, the renowned Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Through it all, I worked with dedicated journalists who wanted to change their part of the world by writing engaging, accurate, impactful stories. Today, I am still fortunate to work with journalists who are dedicated to doing that here in New Bedford — because its citizens deserve a vigorous, thriving news organization that holds the powerful accountable, that celebrates myriad cultures, that inspires people to do their best, that enhances everyday life.
I feel blessed to be living and working in your city — in our city. The Light, now in its fourth year, has already delivered much quality journalism to you. But there is still so much more to do. Stay tuned for the exciting changes on the way. I truly look forward to speaking with you, meeting you and working with you in the years to come.
Sincerely yours,
Karen
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