The Plymouth Independent will celebrate the second anniversary of the publication’s launch on Nov. 20. As we approach this milestone, the board of our nonprofit online news site is delighted to announce that David Kidwell, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from Chicago, will be joining us as our new executive editor at the beginning of the year.
Kidwell has had an outstanding career in journalism, spanning nearly 40 years. He started as a beat reporter for small town newspapers, going on to become an investigative reporter at the Miami Herald for 15 years and then the Chicago Tribune for 12 years. More recently, he worked as an editor at two nonprofit investigative groups in Chicago, the Better Government Assn. (BGA) and Injustice Watch.
Kidwell has won two Pulitzer Prizes, most recently at the BGA, where he conceived, oversaw and edited a series of stories about dozens of fire deaths that occurred because of lax enforcement of fire and building codes by local officials. In 2001, he was a member of the Miami Herald team that covered the story of the exiled Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez.
“I am very excited to start this new adventure in Plymouth, and to be working with such a team of seasoned journalists,” Kidwell said. “I believe what you have been building is not only important to the people of Plymouth, but to the future of journalism. I can’t wait to get started.”
We are deeply thankful for the hard work and endless hours our founding editor, Mark Pothier, has put in helping us reach this point. We are delighted that Pothier, who long planned to step down from his post after two years, will continue to be a part of the Independent as he focuses on reporting on his hometown and writing memorable stories.
At the same time, we are grateful for the positive support from our readers, donors and sponsors. We appreciate the engagement with the local community as we work to fulfill our mission to dig deeply into issues that affect the quality of life for all of us – including local government, education, the environment, public safety, land and economic development, and Plymouth’s vibrant arts and culture scene.
We welcome David Kidwell to the Plymouth Independent team and look forward to working with him to achieve our goals of transparency, accountability and community engagement through trustworthy, fact-based reporting.
– Plymouth Independent Board of Directors