The Austin American-Statesman has a new editor.
On May 23, Publisher Roger Kintzel hired Knight-Ridder Washington Bureau Chief
Rich Oppel to assume the position in early July. Oppel arrived at Knight-Ridder
in 1993, after 14 years as editor of the Charlotte Observer in
Charlotte, North Carolina, which is also owned by Knight-Ridder. During Oppel’s
tenure, the Observer was awarded two gold medal Pulitzers for
meritorious and public service, for their coverage of brown lung disease among
North Carolina’s textile workers and the downfall of Jim Bakker and his PTL
ministries.
Reached at his office at Knight-Ridder on
Tuesday, Oppel declined to answer specific questions about his decision to
accept the position at the Statesman, saying that he wanted to meet with
the paper’s staff first “before I talk to anyone else.” Having been with the
Knight-Ridder company for so many years, Oppel’s move to a Cox newspaper may
seem odd, but Oppel seems enthusiastic about the change. “I think it’s a
newspaper and a company with a vision and high expectations for improving
journalistic standards in what I think is a great city.”
The Statesman has been without a per-manent
editor since Maggie Balough left February 15 after she and Kintzel began to
disagree on the paper’s direction. Since Balough’s departure, Managing Editor
Terry Burke has filled in as Interim Editor.
Observer Managing Editor Frank Barrows, who
worked with Oppel for all of his 14 years
there, says he considered Oppel a “splendid and
first-rate editor and journalist.”
“Frank exaggerates a hell of a lot,” Oppel responded on
Tuesday. We hope not.
– Louisa C. Brinsmade
This article appears in May 26 • 1995 and May 26 • 1995 (Cover).