Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Howell remembered as `force for good journalism'
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Howell remembered as `force for good journalism'
AP - Monday, January 4
Send
IM Story
Print
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Former Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell is being remembered as "a powerful force for good journalism" who was a loyal friend and an inspiring mentor to others in the industry.
Howell, 68, died Friday when she was struck by a car in Blenheim, a town of 30,000 people on the northeast coast of New Zealand's South Island.
Detective Sgt. John Hamilton of the Blenheim police department said Monday that it appeared Howell was crossing a highway to take a picture when she stepped in front of a car in the far lane. Hamilton said it's possible she was "completely unaware of the vehicle."
Drivers in New Zealand travel on the left side of the road, not the right as in the United States, so pedestrians must look first in the direction opposite from their norm.
Hamilton said a full investigation was under way and would take some time. Police were looking at whether there was any basis for charging the driver. The most common charge in such circumstances is careless driving causing death.
Howell was in New Zealand on vacation with her husband, C. Peter Magrath, the former president of the four-campus University of Missouri system and the University of Minnesota.
Under Howell's leadership, the St. Paul Pioneer Press won two Pulitzer Prizes, in 1986 and 1988.
"She was the best newspaper editor I ever worked with," said John Camp, whose winning series examined the life of an American farm family amid the agricultural crisis. "She didn't do things by a managerial workbook; she was instinctual."
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Howell's stepson, said the family was devastated.
"Deborah was a pioneering journalist," Coleman said in a statement. "She was fascinated by people and places the world over. She was a woman of ideas and an irreplaceable guiding force in my life and in the lives of everyone who knew her." Howell previously was married to Coleman's father, former Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Nicholas Coleman, until his death in 1981.
"She played a very important role in my life after my dad died, right up to editing my speeches," Chris Coleman said. "And she was a powerful force for good journalism."
Coleman said he had been spending the day preparing for his Monday inauguration when he got the news about Howell's death. "The last thing I had yet to do was to send her my remarks for her edits," he said.
Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Nick Coleman, another stepson, said Howell was a mentor and confidant to many in the newsroom and had a relationship with many outside the newsroom's walls.
"She had personal loyalties and could count on people's loyalties," he said.
Howell, the daughter of two journalists, once said she was "a reporter in my bones." Raised in Texas, Howell worked for newspapers there before moving to Minnesota in 1965.
She was city editor and an assistant managing editor of the Minneapolis Star before becoming managing editor and executive editor of the Pioneer Press. Howell later became the Washington bureau chief of the Newhouse newspaper chain, where her staff also won a Pulitzer. From 2005 to 2008, she was The Washington Post's ombudsman.
When Howell joined Newhouse, she became one of the first women to lead a Washington bureau, said David Shribman, executive editor of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Shribman, who ran the Washington bureau for The Boston Globe in the 1990s, said he considered Howell a colleague, a mentor and an "amazingly loyal friend."
"She took an underperforming bureau that did routine stories badly and made it a center of innovation and enterprise," Shribman said.
Colleagues said she was a force to be reckoned with who never walked away from a fight.
"She could swear like a sailor. She taught me how to swear," said former Pioneer Press reporter Theresa Persons, who wrote under the name Theresa Monsour. "She's tiny. A delicate, tiny, well-dressed woman, and she would open her mouth and say stuff that I don't think you can say in a newsroom now."
In October, Howell was awarded the University of Missouri School of Journalism's Honor Medal "in recognition of a life's career devoted to practicing and leading others to practice aggressive, fair and useful journalism," according to the school's Web site.
Chris Coleman said his own daughter was inspired by Howell, and will soon study journalism at the University of Missouri.
Star Tribune columnist James Lileks, hired at the Pioneer Press by Howell, followed her to Newhouse.
"She was the most fearless, fierce, fair and honest journalist I've ever met," Lileks said. The only thing she loved more than her profession were the people with whom she worked. ... At a time when newspapers had become quiet, comfy places, she brought the spark and crackle of `The Front Page' to any room she walked through."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Man skirts NJ airport security, delaying flights AP - 2 hours 11 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 2 hours 23 minutes ago
Today in History - Jan. 4 AP - 2 hours 57 minutes ago
Jordan spy among 8 killed at CIA Afghan base: report AFP - Monday, January 4
NYC-funded handout called how-to for heroin users AP - Monday, January 4
News Search
Top Stories
British PM Brown named worst-dressed man
Rate hikes could help battle bubbles: Fed chief
Sweden's cull of wolves nears its quota
Beat the blues by going to bed early: study
Italian banks face first class action lawsuits
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Beat the blues by going to bed early: study
'Snowbama' time in Hawaii
Sweden's cull of wolves nears its quota
Handball Henry still a fan favourite
German businesses abuse scheme to save jobs
More Most Viewed »
Tiger's wife Elin seeking divorce: reports
British priest defends urging people to shoplift
Century-old butter found in Scott's Antarctic hut
Brazilian confesses to sticking needles into two-year-old
Beat the blues by going to bed early: study
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Monday, 4 January 2010 Ex-Israeli PM still comatose 4 years after stroke
Iraq says 5th UK hostage may be returned in days
Hamas says in final stage of Fatah reconciliation
Iraqi insurgent group claims deadly Anbar bombing
Iraq to support Blackwater lawsuit in U.S. courts
Iraq says 5th UK hostage may be returned in days
|
Future uncertain for stuck Mars rover
TV show led to arrest in 4 Thanksgiving killings
Rustlers ride wideopen range of Great Basin
No 'smoking gun' tagged plane bomb suspect: US official
Roadside bomb kills former Pakistan minister
Snow paralyses Beijing as China braces for big chill
Qaeda threat forces US, Britain to shut Yemen missions
AP NewsAlert
Fed: Regulation 1st defense against speculation
Angry minority finds a voice on Chinese campus
Tajikistan earthquake leaves 20,000 homeless
Fireworks, highway accidents kill 15 in China
Avatar passes $1 billion at world box office
|
`Avatar' maintains box-office ascent with $68.3M
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
"Avatar" passes $1 billion at world box office
Jordan spy among 8 killed at CIA Afghan base: report
New Year's revellers stranded in snow-hit British hotel
Samsung sells 2.6 million LED-backlight TVs in 2009
U.S., British embassies extend closure in Yemen
|
British PM Brown named worst-dressed man
Lenovo unveils ThinkPad design with AMD chips
Rate hikes could help battle bubbles: Fed chief
Iran soccer official resigns over e-mail to Israel
Mafia blamed for Italian court bomb: reports
Strong quakes hit Solomon Islands
|
Iranian journalist gets prison term, desert exile
Sweden's cull of wolves nears its quota
Five foreign troops killed in Afghan explosions
|
South Korea calls on North to search for war dead
|
Australia floods peak, but farmers see export boon
|
Japan PM eyes crucial election as problems mount
|
Eighteen feared dead as boat capsizes in east India
|
Australia condemns Indian student death
|
Samsung sells 2.6 million LED-backlight TVs in 2009
Freescale takes aim at tablet computer market
|
Lenovo unveils ThinkPad design with AMD chips
|
5 Americans to appear in Pakistan court
China oil spill hits Yellow River: state media
Japan PM vows to pursue more equal ties with US
India warns Australia over student stabbing
SKorean leader proposes liaison office in NKorea
Man skirts NJ airport security, delaying flights
Grenade attack on Philippine massacre suspect home
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Australia floods peak, but farmers see export boon
Chaos At Newark Airport Continues As Rescreening Goes On For Thousands
NYC-funded handout called how-to for heroin users
Ohio native, ex-Navy Seal killed in Afghan bombing
Newark Terminal On Lockdown Following Security Breach
Japan leader wants more equal ties with US
Passengers on US-bound flights face more screening
TSA Sets More Screenings On Flights From "Terror" Countries
No U.S. Military Killed In December In Iraq
Feds probe Obama effigy in Jimmy Carter's hometown
Top Mexican Drug Gang Leader Nabbed
Anti-Nazi resister Freya von Moltke dies in Vt.
Four Year Old Boy Killed By Stray Celebratory Bullet During Church
Howell remembered as `force for good journalism'
Floridians Face Fire and Ice As Nation Struggles With Cold
Advocate uses texting to warn of AZ crime sweeps
US And UK Shut Down Embassies in Yemen
Accused Thanksgiving Day Killer Nabbed In Florida Keys
'Avatar' blue yields billion dollars in box-office gold
U.S. Intelligence Chief Warns Of More Attacks
Houston now nation's largest city with gay mayor
'Avatar' tops billion dollars, fastest ever: movie tracker
Taiwan stocks extend gains as LCD shares shine
S.Korea c.bank to unveil 2010 policy report Thurs
Group in NYC picks 'Hurt Locker' as best 2009 film
GM says China sales up 67 percent in 2009
S.Korea to spend much of budget in first 6 months
Taiwan, China trade talks by mid-January: govt
Chinese firms trading with Iran evade US sanctions: report
"Hurt Locker," French films win U.S. critics awards
PAKISTAN
"Potter", "Avatar" spur box office record in '09
Kim Raver promoted on Grey's Anatomy
|
This year in film
Seoul shares rangebound; banks rebound, Kumho falls
Hurt Locker, French films win U.S. critics awards
|
Ke$ha leads U.S. pop singles chart for second week
Potter, Avatar spur box office record in '09
|
Shares of Japan Airlines surge on loan reports
Soundgarden reunion planned for 2010
South Korean bonds fall early on foreign selling
Susan Boyle aims for sixth week atop U.S. chart
This year in film
Ke$ha leads U.S. pop singles chart for second week
|
Soundgarden reunion planned for 2010
|
Peter Gabriel goes orchestral for covers album
Susan Boyle aims for sixth week atop U.S. chart
|
'Avatar' blue yields billion dollars in box-office gold
Peter Gabriel goes orchestral for covers album
|
US-TECH Summary
Novartis seeks full ownership of eyecare giant Alcon
Iran says several foreigners arrested in protests
Freescale takes aim at tablet computer market
Food Network And HGTV Viewers Demand Cablevision Put Networks Back On Air
Five US, British troops die in Afghan attacks
"Deadliest Catch" Deckhand Arrested For Bank Robbery
Karzai orders Afghan parliament to suspend break
|
France seeks talks with journalists' Afghan kidnappers
Four US soldiers killed in Afghan bomb blast: NATO
CNN Says Sorry For Kathy Griffin's F-Word Rant On Live Air
Abbas weighs summit to revive stalled peace talks
|
"Avatar" Crosses $1 Billion Box Office Mark
Iran says several foreigners arrested in protests
|
Winter Storm Batters Maritime Provinces
Iran calls off visit by EU parliamentary group
|
North Korea tries to bring life to failed trade zone
|
Saudi rights NGOs write to king about jailed activist
|
South Africa's President Zuma marries for fifth time
|
Iraq will file lawsuits against Blackwater
|
Big chill grips Asia, little economic impact seen
|
Newark air terminal locked down over security
Tunnels beneath Vegas a refuge for homeless people
3.3 million acres of Maine land conserved
Census Bureau kicks off once-a-decade head count
China river diesel spill prompts water use alert
Obama ends Hawaiian holiday, returns to Washington
Chinese dissident appeals subversion conviction
US suspects 'wanted to help Afghan Muslims'
US plans for Mideast peace deal in two years: report
Iranian president wins support from Tajikistan
US, British missions in Yemen shut over security fears
Powerful quake strikes near Solomon Islands
Obama Doll Found Hanging From Rope Noose
Chinese underground bishop Yao dies at 87
Myanmar chief confirms elections to be held 2010
176 Arrested In Raid Of Texas Cockfight; Birds To Be Euthanized
NYC How-To Heroin Guide Hits Streets
Record snow brings travel chaos in China, S.Korea
Taipei 101 shrugs off loss of tallest skyscraper title
WWII Mariners Seek $1,000 'Thank You'
Four U.S. Troops Killed In Afghanistan
52 Malaysia couples face jail for hotel liaisons
First SeaGrass Restoration Project In Florida Keys Showing Signs Of Success
US Ends Ban On Immigrants With HIV/AIDS
Atlanta, Houston Mayors Begin Their Terms
Canadian Man Triggers Tighter Security In Airports Because Of Newark Security Breach
Asian markets start year on upbeat note
Pakistani rupee falls to record low; o/n rates up
Survey shows China manufacturing growing
Carrefour: will appeal Indonesia antitrust ruling
Japan Airlines shares soar on credit lifeline
World's tallest tower to open as Dubai faces crisis
India on road-building frenzy, invites investors
Gadget makers focus on cost-effective temptations
China manufacturing rises in December: survey
Kim Raver promoted on "Grey's Anatomy"
GM China reports record sales in 2009
Thai inflation up for third month, ministry says
Avatar passes $1 billion at world box office
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights