The anonymous poster on the "Gone" thread was looking for a list of the most nurturing newspapers when it comes to the kind of work we see on this board.
I'd be interested to see some nominations, especially in the smaller circulation categories.
Anyone?
As of about a year ago when I was recruiting/reviewing candidates from small/medium markets, I noticed consistently good writers coming out of Erie, Wichita and Lincoln. A writer or two from Glens Falls, N.Y., definitely got my attention.
I don't know them from personal experience, but the Anniston Star in Alabama and the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire have always had good reputations.
And last time I checked, the Valley News of White River Junction, Vermont, was an occasional direct pipeline to the St. Petersburg Times.
I got to work at the Times Herald-Record in New York's mid-Hudson Valley in '03, '04 and early '05, and it was an extraordinary piece of good fortune.
I'd second Wichita. The Kansas City Star's sports section gives its writers time and room and the results can be inspiring. The Des Moines Register has some people doing great work, too.
In the mid-sized realm, I'd think about the South Bend Tribune, where I worked for awhile. There was room to tell stories and encouragement to try new approaches. I admit I've not kept up with the place too much lately, but the relevant editors (and some of the writers) are still there.
Also, the neighboring Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette did/does some really good stuff.
And, yeah, the Times Herald-Record. Plenty of THR vets around here if you're curious.
I'm with John T.
Glens Falls (The Post-Star) is all over great narrative. Not exactly sure why, other than they have a great features editor (now their Projects Editor) in Will Doolittle. They have a former sports writer, Ken Tingley, as their editor in chief, which is perhaps why the paper is known for producing outstanding sports sections for a daily that size. Their editorial page editor, of course, is Mark Mahoney, who famously won the Pulitzer last year.
I loved working in GF. I was there alongside some amazing writers, like Abigail Tucker (who went on to the Baltimore Sun, then Smithsonian Magazine). In some ways I'm sorry I'm not still there, ferreting weird stories from the depths of the Adirondacks.
It was great to hear from one of those great writers from Glens Falls. ;)
Thanks for the mention Tim. As a current staffer at The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I can confirm that it is indeed the most nurturing place I've ever worked in my 15 years in this Monkey House of an industry. In fact, my position is living proof of it - I write three Sunday stories a month, and I choose the topic. I do everything from long-form narratives, some of which have been on here, to tough investigations. And my editors constantly encourage me to take risks in my writing and try new things.
Hard to figure how it could get any better than this...
This isn't quite what the anonymous poster had asked for, but it's something I've learned:
Smaller papers sometimes come with more freedom to do the kind of writing that you want to do. The need for stories can be pretty intense, and if there's something I really, really want to write about, the editors usually say yes.