I bought a camera in college to avoid having to be in photos. It’s been suggested that I entered journalism as a similar attempt to avoid the spotlight. And yet, here I am following the likely wise suggestion of Publisher David Mannis that it would be thoughtful of me to introduce myself.
Anthony King had his last day at San Diego Community News Network on Friday, where he served as the editor of both San Diego Uptown News and Gay San Diego. About four and a half minutes after arriving at the office on Monday morning, I realized I had some clown-sized shoes to fill.
Good editing is like an intricate juggling act. And to put Anthony’s editing prowess in juggling terms, he’d be the guy who could juggle four rubber chickens while riding a unicycle. He’d probably be on fire too.
Under his tenure, SDUN won second place for “Best Local Business Coverage” at the 2013 Independent Free Papers of America (IPFA) Awards, and an SDUN columnist won second place in “Best Original Writing Opinion” at the 2012 Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) awards. He also won the 2012 Nicky Award for “Outstanding Writer/Columnist.”
Anthony deftly oversaw SDUN while adding a personal touch to it, filling the pages with unique insights into the neighborhoods of uptown and midtown. Many will tell you that a good journalist has the ability to remain detached from his subject, but Anthony made his entire community into an ongoing narrative, enveloped himself deeply within it, and crafted his reporting all the better because of his close involvement.
I think Uptown’s neighborhoods are the reason San Diego allows itself to be labeled a cultural hub. Our current political landscape is putting emphasis back on our city’s bustling neighborhoods—perhaps only because their streets are crumbling—and that gives all the more reason for me to continue the heavily involved coverage Anthony paved the way for with Uptown News.
As for my background, I’m a recent graduate of San Diego State where I served as the news editor then as managing editor for The Daily Aztec. I’ve written mostly about politics and music, but I stray into features writing when I’m feeling adventurous. I’ve spent time interning for everybody’s favorite “iMayor” Todd Gloria along with a couple other places in the community, like the San Diego CityBeat. In my free time, I enjoy getting hopelessly lost on my bicycle for hours on end throughout the streets of San Diego.
Although I think of myself as a journalist with all the cynicism and introversion intended for print, I wasn’t sure I’d ever work for another newspaper after college. The popular belief espoused in school—and far throughout the country—is that print is dead. Adapting to the fast-paced environment created by the web should be a newspaper’s top priority, we’re often told.
But I think this online journalism mantra overlooks the greatest strength of a newspaper like SDUN: the ability to tangibly tap into a community.
For years SDUN has thrived right alongside its coverage area, housing itself right next door to the Hillcrest Business Association.
I’m excited to be part of this newspaper and the community it’s nestled itself into so naturally. Always feel free to contact me at [email protected] or at (619) 961-1952.
“Anthony was a valuable member of our team and his absence will be felt not only by our staff but by the community. Anthony was instrumental in connecting with our local neighborhoods and covering issues and concerns of the community. We hope he will continue to be a part of SDCNN as a contributing writer. We are pleased to welcome Hutton Marshall as the new editor of San Diego Uptown News. Hutton is a graduate of SDSU and a recent intern in Councilman Todd Gloria’s office. He has experience as a writer, editor and is familiar with the communities we serve.”
–David Mannis, Publisher
