I am proud to share that I’m now managing editor of the recently formed Newsroom Ventures LLC, which is the parent company of six newspapers acquired over the last year by Roby Brock. I’ll also be a contributing reporter for Talk Business & Politics.
Michael Hibblen and Roby Brock on April 24 in the Little Rock television studio of KARK-4 and KLRT-Fox 16.
I’ve known Roby since I moved back to Arkansas 17 years ago, partnered with him on many stories while working at Little Rock NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 and am pleased to now be working for him. KUAR aired a radio version of Talk Business & Politics and Roby often joined me on the air to discuss political topics.
I greatly appreciate that he has purchased these newspapers — many of which were on the verge of being shut down. All have histories stretching back a century or longer of serving their communities. I’m glad Roby came up with a viable business model to keep publishing weekly editions of each paper, while we are also expanding their websites and social meida presense.
At this point, I’m primarily editing and reporting for The Glenwood Herald and The Grand Prairie Herald in Hazen. I’m steadily expanding my responsibilities for our other newspapers, which are The Pine Bluff Commercial, The England Democrat, The Fordyce News Advocate and The Waldron News.
I started as a freelance reporter for the company on March 9, then on April 24 Roby announced I was becoming its managing editor. In a story that ran in the newspapers about my news position, Roby said: “I’ve known Michael for many years and I value his friendship as much as I do his news reporting, editing skills and attention to detail. He will be a great asset to our collection of newspapers, websites and social media platforms.”
I greatly appreciate his confidence and have enjoyed writing for the newspapers, especially feature stories about the people of the communities I’m getting to know. The Arkansas Press Association also published the story about me becoming managing editor.
The cover of the May 7 issue of the Arkansas Press Association’s weekly magazine Publisher’s Weekly. Click to read as a PDF.
The association is a nonprofit trade organization that supports the state’s newspaper industry. The following week, Ron Kemp interviewed me for a very kind profile which was run in the APA’s May 7 issue. He noted the irony of me now being part of the England newspaper as I spent a year working for a radio station in the city, KLRA-FM 96.5, while I was in high school 36 years ago.
I occasionally meet with Roby at the England Democrat, with the newspaper office still located in the downtown building that has long been its home. It features some fascinating old newspaper equipment that Roby eventually plans to display as part of a museum there. The England building is also the company headquarters for Newsroom Ventures. The Hazen newspaper, where I work each Tuesday, is also in its original downtown downtown, looking out on the unused tracks that once carried passenger and freight trains of the old Rock Island Railroad. The historic passenger depot is a block over.
I joined Roby on his May 3 episode of his television show Talk Business & Politics, which airs on KLRT-Fox 16, while the audio of the program airs on my former radio station KUAR. He opened the segment by announcing I had been hired as managing editor, then we discussed the end of the fiscal session of the Arkansas Legislature and plans for a special session which would begin the following week to consider a state tax cut package.
I’ve always loved writing for newspapers and am looking forward to what’s ahead. While early in my career, I wanted to work in the biggest markets possible, today I’m finding incredible joy working at community newspapers which provide unique storytelling experiences.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
