Suzy Rook departs the Northfield News. No replacement announced

Northfield NewsThe Northfield News announced this week that Associate Editor Suzy Rook has been made regional managing editor of the St. Peter Herald, Le Center Leader, Le Sueur News-Herald and the Waseca County News. Her last day, according to this tweet, was yesterday.

The paper’s announcement made no mention of her replacement so I’m assuming this is a cost-cutting move.  Rook had acquired a great deal of institutional knowledge of Northfield in her years here, especially City Hall.  Despite my occasional criticisms, I think we’re going to miss her reporting.

Who will replace her as the beat reporter on Northfield City Hall? Managing editor Jerry Smith?

2 Comments

  1. kiffi summa said:

    I hope that whoever replaces Ms. Rook will take the NFNews to a higher standard of journalistic principle than it exhibits now. … and that blame cannot be laid solely at Ms. Rook’s door, but at that of the paper’s management.

    When stories express a person’s opinion, and it involves the actions of others, the others must be interviewed… in the same article … and this is whether it pertains to residents, or elected officials, board and commission members, city staff, employees, whoever.

    When there are divisive issues at Council/City Hall, if the reporting was as thorough as Ms. Rook’s excellent Heroin series, we would all be well served.
    Another commenter her on LG recently said something about the newspaper’s tendency towards “complacency”; I would characterize it as almost always ‘siding’ with City Hall positions, rather than exploring/ presentng alternative views.

    I would also hope for more editorial consistency .. and I know that’s a hard one to explain … just my POV.

    I would also share a complaint with one of yours, Griff. Regarding story updates: the material that is the update should be clearly delineated together with it’s entry time.
    Sometimes even the initial posting times change , interim update times are left out or change, and what’s up with that?

    Sorry about all the opinions … no, not really … I think journalistic integrity is prime!

    July 20, 2012

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