AAN Association of Alternative Newsmedia

W. Kim Heron Leaving as Editor of Detroit's Metro Times

november 28, 2012 11:00 am

W. Kim Heron, who was named Metro Times managing editor in 1997 and editor in 2006, is stepping down to become a writer for the Kresge Foundation.

The paper's senior editor, Michael Jackman, will be our interim editor, said publisher Chris Sexson.

"Kim was an integral part of the team that conceived and launched a redesign of Metro Times in October, and that redesign is having a positive impact with readers and advertisers," said Sexson, who added "Kim has done so many great things for MT over the years and always with a great attitude and attention to detail. Kim was able to attract and grow the best group of freelance writers MT has ever published, period."

Heron said that after being around for more than 800 issues, it was a good time to call it a day and take on new challenges at the foundation based in Troy, Mich. Kresge has a mission of improving the quality of lives in a number of areas from improving access to education to dealing with climate change to promoting the arts to assisting the revitalization of Detroit. Heron's last day at the paper will be Dec. 14.

"I've had a chance to work with some great journalists and other staff at a paper that has and will continue to play an important role in the community," said Heron, who previously worked for the Detroit Free Press and briefly as managing editor for the Detroit Sunday Journal, a paper established by striking newspaper workers during a dispute with the city's dailies in the '90s.

"Metro Times has always been a paper that took arts and culture as seriously as the news, the imagination as seriously as the facts of the day," he added. "It's always been a paper that's believed that the city matters, that its culture should be celebrated even as its political and economic realities are examined critically."

Sexson said, "Kim has set a the bar high for our next editor. We truly wish Kim the best. The Kresge foundation has a new star player on their team."

For more information about the MT open editor position.