Our esteemed News-Press founder/owner/editor Nicholas F. Benton was feted in the June 2024 edition of Editor & Publisher magazine as one of its “Class of 2024 ‘15 over 50’ committed to truth, community engagement and sustainability in our industry.” E&P author Robin Blinder introduced the segment in the magazine this month, saying “the honored news media professionals were nominated for their strong leadership skills, transformational mindsets, commitment to journalistic and publishing excellence and ability to lead during challenging times. They are hopeful about the future and proud to be part of guiding the next generation forward.”
Benton, specifically, was introduced by Blinder as follows, “In his position as founder, owner and editor at the Falls Church News-Press, Nicholas Benton has led and mentored scores of young journalists in his career. His tenet is “journalists work for the readers and the truth.”
Editor & Publisher has been the gold standard in news covering news for far more than a century, with its special role in the more recent era being to document and comment about the considerable challenges facing the news industry in these troubled times. According to Wikipedia, “Editor & Publisher evolved from several publications, the oldest of which — the weekly The Journalist, the first successful American trade newspaper covering journalism — had been founded in 1884. The Editor & Publisher: A Journal for Newspaper Makers itself was founded in 1901.
Benton’s profile in the magazine this month included the following quotes:
Asked about his first job in news, Benton responded, “I founded my own newspaper, The Benton Star, at age seven. My first paying job as a writer, at age 14, was for my hometown paper, the Santa Barbara News-Press.”
Asked “What are some of the most important lessons you have learned while working in news?,” Benton replied, “I’ve often said that either I was born with printer’s ink in my veins, or I just have never grown up — or both. The key lesson is that journalists or newspapermen work for their readers and the truth, not for themselves. You must be willing to be ‘unpopular’ or ‘not one of the gang’ in order to do the job.”
Asked “When you reflect on your career to date, what brings you the greatest sense of accomplishment,” Benton answered, “All of it (had brought a sense of accomplishment), but in particular, having an impact on a community.”
Asked “What are your predictions for where the news publishing/news media is heading?,” Benton responded, “Not in a good direction. When I was growing up, the major network nightly news did not permit advertising to confirm its independence. That says it all. I am also troubled by the loss of print journalism in favor of digital. I do not think online sources contribute to the sense of community engagement that a real print newspaper does. It has been proven that people don’t retain information they read online nearly as well as when they read something in print.”