Mike Fannin Named Regional Editor of McClatchy's Midwest Region

"Under his leadership, The Star has produced some of most powerful journalism in the company and in the country, from last year's Why So Secret, Kansas?, which is forcing change in how state government works, to this month's disturbing series on Missouri's child brides," said Tim Grieve, Vice President of News for McClatchy.

Fannin, started at The Star in the sports department. During his decade-long oversight of sports, The Star was among the most honored sports sections in America. He later rose to Managing Editor and became Editor and Vice President. In more than two decades at The Star he has won many national and regional awards, and most recently, the Scripps Howard Award in the First Amendment category.

The company also announced that Lauren Gustus, Regional Editor for McClatchy's West Region, will now also oversee its four newsrooms in Washington State including The News Tribune in Tacoma; The Olympian in Olympia; The Bellingham Herald and the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, in addition to The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee, The Merced Sun-Star, The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and The Idaho Statesman in Boise.

This completes the company's new regional structure for news as part of its program of newsroom reinvention: Robyn Tomlin, Regional Editor of the Carolinas, Lauren Gustus Regional Editor of the West, Kristin Roberts, Regional Editor of the East and Mike Fannin, Regional Editor of the Midwest. The regional editors are charged with accelerating digital growth and ensuring their newsrooms deliver what readers need in a fast-changing news environment.

"The vision, ambition and creativity of these four industry-leading regional editors means McClatchy is well-positioned to report and deliver journalism that is essential in the communities we serve, and increasingly impactful around the nation,'' said Craig Forman, McClatchy's President & CEO. ''Individually and collectively, Robyn, Kristin, Lauren and Mike are accelerating our transition as a digital-DNA news media business," said Craig Forman.

The company also named Steve Coffman as Editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Coffman is currently the Editor of The Wichita Eagle.

"In two years at The Eagle, Steve has championed high-quality accountability journalism that resonates with readers in the digital era," said Grieve.

Coffman has been the editor of The Wichita Eagle/Kansas.com since August 2016, where he has ratcheted up the urgency on delivery of breaking news and fought for public records and open government with stories, editorials, columns and lawsuits. Before arriving at The Eagle, Steve was editor of The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun for 10 years and worked prior to that in leadership roles at The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer and The Finger Lakes Times in Geneva, N.Y., where he began his career as a reporter.

About McClatchy
McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI.

SOURCE McClatchy

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