Darien News publisher appointed Georgia Press president

Jun. 10—To Kathleen Russell, publisher and editor of The Darien News, journalism is more than just a noble profession, although she believes it is just that.

It's also the family business. Her parents bought the paper in 1953.

"I started working here when I could walk and hold a broom at the same time," said Russell, who turns 70 this year. "When I was tall enough to stand at the table, I helped fold and interleave the broadsheets."

Earlier this week, she was also tapped to bring her deep well of experience to lead the Georgia Press Association as its next president.

In 1887, the GPA was founded to "Create an organization, which would protect, promote, foster and advance the interest of the newspaper industry in Georgia."

That vision is largely fulfilled by serving as the go-to for newspapers statewide to network and coordinate, funding educational programming and scholarships and offering legal services and lobbying on behalf of news outlets in Atlanta.

It's a special time to serve as president, she said. Much is changing in the world of journalism, and while social media and general apathy make a hard business harder, she's never been more sure of the importance of the craft.

"We are the backbone of the community," Russell said. "We stand for what's right, we report the facts, not the fake news or the bull on social media, we are held to a higher standard and no community can really exist without newspapers reporting the facts and airing the joys and sorrows of the community."

Seeing the difficulty and danger her parents braved as the owners of the publication went a long way toward instilling those beliefs, she said.

"He had to skip the country one time when a judge was siding with the sheriff, who was allowing slot machines and prostitution in the county," Russell recalled. "The judge was going to subpoena him (her father) for lying in the newspaper."

Until that judge went out of office, they stayed low. Someone shot up The Darien News' office during this time, along with the house of a sympathetic minister.

In 1970, the paper's office was burned to the ground. Russell believes that incident was again tied to reporting her father had done on the sheriff, whose mother was running a nightclub.

"You've got to stand up for what's right and that's not an easy thing," Russell said.

All that trouble paid off, she said, as now McIntosh County and the city of Darien have extremely transparent and qualified governments and staff. Politics will always be what they are, but she's thankful to have a forthright sheriff, a strong county commission and a good city council, both with good managers.

"McIntosh County has been described as the wild frontier, and it's still a little wild but it's better than it was," Russell said.

As for what she plans to do with her tenure as GPA president, Russell said anything she does will be a group effort.

"One project we're really working on for this year is we're working on raising the profile of newspapers in communities and enhancing community journalism, and telling our story and the importance of us," Russell said. "We report everything else, but not much about us."

The important work of education, networking and lobbying will continue, but all that ultimately depends on getting newspapers into the hands of readers, she said.

"If you aren't informed you're not a good citizen," Russell said. "It's as much your job to be informed as it is our job to deliver the facts."