Unsigned editorials have always been a peculiar newspaper custom to me. It’s an exercise in doublespeak to try to explain to a reader gunning for a debate that the editorial that bothered her so much does not represent my opinion, does not represent the news staff’s opinion, is not necessarily the publisher’s opinion, but is “the institutional voice of The Courant.”
Candidate endorsements typically put me in the position of explaining the custom. But last week, it was the editorial “Mr. Rowland’s Return.”
The news stories and the charitable editorial about former Gov. John G. Rowland’s appointment to an economic development position in Waterbury lit up The Courant’s discussion boards. That the newspaper would publish an editorial supporting a second chance for an ex-governor convicted of corruption was perplexing, unbelievable and outrageous to many, as evidenced by the comments posted on Topix. As one reader told me, the editorial was “offensive to the people of Connecticut and our intelligence.”
Defending or explaining the reasoning behind the editorial is not my purpose. I’ll leave that to Editorial Page Editor Carolyn Lumsden.
Still, with endorsements in this wide-open primary season on the editorial page today, it seems a good time to explore the editorial-writing process and exactly who’s behind The Courant’s “institutional voice.”
Editorials, which are found on the left side of The Courant’s editorial page Sunday through Friday, are produced by members of the newspaper’s editorial board, which is separate and distinct from the news staff. The board consists of:
Publisher Stephen D. Carver. Carver, who joined The Courant in July 2006, was previously vice president and general manager of WATL-TV in Atlanta. His background is in advertising and sales. He is a native of New York.
Editorial Page Editor Carolyn Lumsden. Lumsden was promoted to editorial page editor in October, succeeding Robert K. Schrepf. She has been a writer and editor with The Courant’s editorial page since 1992. Before that, she worked for the Associated Press and at the book publisher Random House.
Deputy Editorial Page Editor Tom Condon. Condon started at The Courant in 1968, before leaving to serve in Vietnam. He returned to a reporting job in the Old Saybrook bureau. He was a member of The Courant’s first investigative team and, for nearly 18 years, a columnist in the Connecticut section. Currently, his responsibilities include the Place section.
Associate Editor Peter B. Pach. Pach previously held reporting and editing positions at the Record-Journal in Meriden. He joined The Courant as Middletown bureau chief in 1983. He wrote a column about Connecticut’s issues and people for nearly 12 years before joining the editorial board full time. He edits the daily Other Opinion pages and the Sunday Commentary section.
Editorial Writer Mike McCune. McCune has worked as a reporter, an editor and an editorial writer at The News-Times in Danbury, the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport and The Courant.
Editorial Writer David Medina. Before Medina arrived at The Courant, he was a reporter for the Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat & Chronicle and the New York Daily News and an editor at the Miami News. He then left the newspaper business for four years to build and operate a public access television station in the Bronx. Before moving to Connecticut, he was an assignment editor and copy editor for the Bergen Record in New Jersey.
Daryl Perch. Perch, who was an editorial writer for The Courant for more than 15 years before retiring, contributes editorials on a free-lance basis. Before she joined The Courant, she was an editor and columnist at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
The editorial board meets every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m., when current events are discussed and possible editorial topics are proposed. After the board reaches a consensus on an issue, a writer or editor writes the editorial.
“An editorial writer picks a topic, usually in his or her expertise,” Lumsden said. “The writer is supposed to reflect the consensus of the board.”
When the board cannot reach a consensus, the editorial page editor usually has the final say (although the publisher has the ultimate say). All editorials are approved by the editorial page editor.
In the case of the Rowland editorial, Lumsden said, “What ended up as the final editorial was the board’s consensus — no one person’s opinion. Some people thought [Rowland's] talents lay in economic development projects.” She explained further that there was agreement that society in general believes in second chances. Rowland has to be aware that he will be watched very closely, she said.
