In my two weeks as the new editor of the Plymouth Independent, I have been to a Select Board meeting, met dozens of residents, edited more than a half dozen stories and begun to furnish our sparkling new office in the Plymouth Industrial Park.
I am diving in, trying to build an understanding of what this news operation means to you and how I might help to make it better. So, I thought it might be time to formally introduce myself and say how exciting it is to begin this new adventure with a crew of incredibly gifted veteran journalists.
To say the people I have met here have been warm and welcoming would be an understatement. I could not be happier with my decision to move from Chicago.
I have been a journalist four decades, working to cover cities large and small and witnessing the waning influence of the newspapers I have loved. I came to Plymouth for many reasons. As a history nerd, I was enamored with this town before I even arrived. I also grew up in a small town and thus have always craved new adventures.
Plus, no self-respecting newspaper journalist in this country would dream of saying no to the legendary Walter “Robby” Robinson of Boston Globe fame and a member of our board.
Seriously, my decision to make Plymouth my last journalism home centered mostly on the people who now surround me. They are my contemporaries, some accomplished refugees from larger newsrooms – and, like me, they believe the Independent’s model represents the future of journalism.
I have met a number of you who believe it, too. I promise to do everything I can to live up to this promise.
In the coming weeks and months, I have the daunting task of trying to understand the complexities and challenges of Plymouth, and I am asking for your help. Please do not hesitate to reach out with story ideas, perspectives, and thoughts on how we can be better. Maybe we can grab coffee.
In the meantime, I will watch and learn.
Thank you for welcoming me to your historic community.
With regards,
David Kidwell
David can be reached at david@plymouthindependent.org.