Changes in the Monitor ranks

Many of you stay in touch with us about the paper's coverage. It's a dialogue we value. So we thought you would be interested in hearing about a variety of recent moves on the Monitor's editing team.

New assignments are a way of life in the our business, building a base of experience that allows a journalist to help readers discover not just what happened, but what events mean. Every new assignment at the Monitor is weighed against our goal of making steady improvements, so that the paper is increasingly useful to readers.

Starting at the top of the paper's masthead, Marshall Ingwerson moved into the managing editor post June 1, succeeding John Dillin, now associate editor and Washington bureau chief. The managing editor supervises all daily operations of the newspaper except the editorial and op-ed pages, which report directly to the editor.

During 20 uninterrupted years with the paper, Marshall has served in Boston, Washington, Miami, Los Angeles, and Moscow. His 1997 series on the countries bordering the Caspian Sea won an Overseas Press Club citation for excellence.

Marshall brings devotion to the Monitor's unselfish mission, sound news judgment, and a winning blend of compassion and honesty in dealing with staff and readers.

Associate Editor John Dillin's efforts improved every part of the paper during the five years he served as managing editor. Our new daily sections, the paper's redesign, the movie guide, the 90th anniversary edition, a reinvigorated writers' training program, and our 1996 Pulitzer all bear the strong imprint of his vision, energy, and skill.

John now has served two tours as managing editor, the only person in the paper's history to do so.

In his new role as chief of the Washington bureau, John will work closely with the National News team in planning daily and long-term coverage from the nation's capital, including our election-year 2000 effort.

As associate editor, he'll oversee Monitor coverage of the millennium and help recruit a new generation of Monitor writers.

Some of the Monitor's best and brightest correspondents have served as chief editorial writer, speaking for the paper's publisher, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, on public policy issues. The roster includes names well known to our longtime readers - Joseph Harrison, Joseph C. Harsch, Charlotte Saikowski, Richard J. Cattani, and Earl W. Foell.

Clayton Jones joined this distinguished group June 15 when he became chief editorial writer, succeeding Earl Foell, who was named contributing editor.

Clay brings a rich background and strong writing skills to this important post. In 26 years with the Monitor, he has served in Boston, Washington, Manila, and Tokyo.

As World editor since 1994, Clay succeeded in making the Monitor's international news coverage more reader-friendly. He also led the team that won a 1996 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Clay's daily "World" column offered a highly readable summary of the international scene that many readers praised.

Clay, Marshall, and I - and scores of others - all were privileged to study Monitor journalism under Earl Foell's tutelage. Aside from a two- year stint as United Nations correspondent for The Los Angeles Times, Earl has served Monitor readers since 1949.

Over the intervening five decades, Earl held a variety of writing posts and served successively as managing editor, editor, and editor-in-chief of this newspaper. He also was editor of World Monitor Magazine before returning to the paper as chief editorial writer in 1995.

All of us at the Monitor treasure Earl's intelligence, grace, wit, and modesty.

In this series of management changes, our commitment to insightful reporting of world news remains undiminished.

Monitor veteran David Scott has moved into the international news editor post to oversee this coverage. He will continue the daily "World" column Clay launched.

David joined the Monitor 18 years ago and has served in Boston, New York, Sydney, and Mexico City. Most recently, he has been serving as editor of the weekly Homefront section.

The new editor of the Homefront section has firsthand experience juggling the varied demands of home, career, and community. April Austin joined the paper in 1984 and served both as the Home Forum editor and editor of the Arts pages.

The Work & Money section also is under new management. The section's founding editor, Lynde McCormick, resigned to devote full time to a Chinese antiques business he and his wife launched.

Clay Collins, who became Work & Money editor July 1, brings strong business-writing and editing experience to his new post. Before returning to the Monitor two years ago, Clay worked at a custom-publishing house where he wrote and edited business stories for several magazines. Earlier, he worked at the Monitor and World Monitor magazine.

The members of the Monitor's editorial team join me in thanking you for your continuing support of the paper we love.