In case you missed it, there have been a couple of notable changes at The Virginian Pilot in the past few days.
First, longtime editorial page associate editor Roger Chesley is moving on. In an op-ed penned for his regular Saturday column, Chesley announces that he is leaving the editorial board but not the paper. “[F]ollowing in the footsteps of Kerry Dougherty,” Chesley will be writing a metro column which will appear three times a week.
I wish Roger the best, and I’m looking forward to his columns. It has been a long time since the paper had two metro columnists.
Replacing Chesley on the editorial board is Shawn Day. According to his bio on the Pilot’s website (which hasn’t been updated yet), Day joined the paper in May, 2008 after a stint at the Peninsula’s Daily Press. His previous assignment was covering courts in Virginia Beach. He recently completed an M.A. in English (Professional Writing) at ODU, where I understand his thesis was on the use of social media during the 2009 gubernatorial campaign. (I’m guessing he spent some time talking to Vincent over at Too Conservative, who penned a great piece on that very topic.)
It will be interesting to watch the dynamics of the editorial board, with such a young member amongst them.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Wow..who would’ve thought that condensing press releases from the CA’s office would be a springboard to the Editorial Board.
Jealous? 😉
Why would I be jealous of a pay cut?
“Following in the footsteps of Kerry Dougherty”… Maybe Mr. Chesley can be the yin to her yang. With Dougherty, the glass is always half empty. Maybe Mr. Chesley can take the half full side of the argument. There are serious issues both present and future that deserve more insightful debate than what we have been getting.
I think that’s part of the plan.
Mr. Bryant’s office is certainly assiduous in its production of press releases. But anyone who’s been in the VB courthouse regularly for the past few years would tell you that Shawn Day worked the beat harder than what Mr. Kirwin suggests.
He worked the beat hard. Fantastic! “Man accused of”…”at a bond hearing”…”woman pleads guilty”
I’ve always said reporting isn’t rocket science. I’m sure he did a fine job reporting some of the things that happen in court. I’m sure he may have even done it better than some other schleps at the Pilot have.
But, hey, if he’s not left of Stalin, he may bring a different voice to the stack of socialists currently scribing for that page.