Indiana’s oldest newspaper has a new publisher.
Gayle R. Robbins has assumed the duties of publisher and will continue in his role as editor of the newspaper that traces its origins back to Elihu Stout, who is a distant relative of Robbins.
“Every day, when I walk into my office, his is the first face I see in a portrait hanging on the wall, with that scowl I take as a personal challenge to produce a better newspaper today than we did the day before,” he said. “And that’s our goal — to be better today than yesterday.”
Jenny McNeece has been named assistant editor and will be taking on more responsibility in managing the day-to-day activities of the newsroom.
Jess Cohen has been promoted to reporter.
Robbins said the newspaper is in a unique position in its administrative line-up.
“We’re sort of beta testing a new model of newspaper management, something that’s only possible because of the staff we have,” he said.
Robbins has been on the Sun-Commercial staff since 2001, serving as an associate news editor and business editor, winning statewide awards for his work in both positions. He was named editor in 2006.
He previously worked as a correspondent for United Press International and was later editor and publisher of The Bloomfield Evening World and The Bloomfield News. He has also worked in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C. as a corporate communications director and government relations specialist and as a communications and public relations consultant.
Robbins is a graduate of Indiana University, where he studied history, economics and sociology and was on the staff of The Indiana Magazine of History.
– Vincennes Sun-Commercial
