Executive Editor Woodward retiring from BDN
11/3/09 | 32 comments

Executive Editor Woodward retiring from BDN


By Julie Murchison Harris
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO
Bangor Daily News Executive Editor Mark Woodward

BANGOR, Maine — Executive Editor A. Mark Woodward announced Monday he is retiring from the Bangor Daily News effective Jan. 1, 2010, after 38 years with the family-owned newspaper.

“It is a decision reached after many months of personal reflection, discussions with my wife (herself happily retired now for two years), and careful assessment of what I might be able to accomplish for our company if I continued in my current role,” Woodward said in a prepared statement issued to colleagues.

As executive editor for the past 12 years, Woodward has emphasized the importance of community through his service on boards of organizations promoting education, economic development and elder care; in his philosophy of giving priority to local news; and in his interactions with other departments at the BDN.

Publisher Richard J. Warren praised Woodward for his leadership.

“Mark Woodward has been a considerable force at the Bangor Daily News for over 38 years. He has been a remarkable leader of both our editorial page and editorial department as editor of the former and, most recently, as executive editor of the latter. His leadership has extended well beyond the NEWS to many endeavors in the Bangor community and state of Maine. Mark retires from the BDN with the admiration and appreciation of all his colleagues,” Warren said Monday.

Woodward graduated from the University of Maine in 1969 with a political science degree and joined the BDN in 1971 as a city reporter. He became editorial page editor in 1982 and left the paper for eight months to be communications director for Sen. Susan Collins in Washington, D.C., in 1997. He was named the paper’s executive editor in the fall of that year.

“It would be simple to measure Mark’s impact on the newsroom by the numerous awards the BDN has won under his stewardship,” Managing Editor Michael J. Dowd said Monday. “I think Mark’s leadership is best measured by the enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication our staffers display day in and day out. It all stems from his can-do attitude.”

The newsroom was a place of clacking typewriters, glue pots and the smell of oil-based ink when Woodward began as a reporter. One of his personal highlights as a reporter was sitting on the Main Street steps of the BDN with Jim Longley, talking with Maine’s soon-to-be first independent governor about state government and issues of the day.

As editorial editor and writer, Woodward proactively took on sticky political subjects including health care, veteran services, the papermaking industry, environmental issues, land access, sustainable forestry, domestic violence and public access to government information.

Woodward said Monday some of the more memorable topics for him included the bottle bill, workers’ compensation, the Big A controversy, Indian Claims Settlement Act, and advocating for the deinstitutionalized mentally ill.

Woodward also encouraged public discussion through Letters to the Editor, the development of several local OpEd columnists, and theme OpEd packages.

As executive editor, Woodward has valued the special role of a family-owned newspaper in Maine’s small communities and especially in the city whose name it carries. He is a past member of Bangor Rotary, Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce (past president), and Maine Discovery Museum board of trustees.

He has been involved in many aspects of community life from helping to bring the National Folk Festival to Bangor to organizing Bangor area religious, school, political, health care and law enforcement leaders into an informal group that developed a community dialogue about safety in the local schools after the Columbine shootings in Colorado.

He also helped establish a statewide courts and media committee, which meets to resolve issues of mutual interest or concern, and is a regular participant in Husson University’s business breakfasts.

Woodward said one of the most gratifying experiences of his career was during the Ice Storm of 1998. Although it was unsafe for trucks to make deliveries outside of Bangor, free copies of the paper were handed out from the BDN’s Main Street office. Woodward said that simple act served as a symbol to reassure the public that its basic institutions were working in the midst of the crisis.

Another pivotal moment for him came at 3:30 a.m. as a small staff gathered around a computer screen at the end of a long Election Day, trying to come up with a headline for the unclear presidential race between Al Gore and George Bush. Woodward said a headline stating the race was undecided reminded him the BDN is in the business to report the news, not forecast it.

Woodward’s retirement announcement spread quickly through the community he has served for so many years. Gov. John Baldacci grew up in the east side Bangor neighborhood Woodward has called home for the last 35 years.

“He’s a go-to person, a problem solver and a consensus builder,” Baldacci said Monday. “Mark Woodward has been a tremendous resource to me and the state of Maine.”

Specifically, Baldacci noted Woodward’s input on several current economic issues including the development of the state’s wind power potential and the growth of composite wood technology at the University of Maine.

“He had enough experience that you always got a thoughtful and reflective response,” Baldacci, a Democrat, said of the many talks he has had with Woodward over the years. “He is certainly going to be missed.”

Sen. Collins was among the first to offer well wishes. “Mark has always had a passion for the newspaper business and, more important, a love for the state of Maine,” she said. “Under Mark’s leadership, the BDN moved into the digital age without losing focus on its mission — to always serve its readers and its advertisers. I know that he will be missed by his family at the BDN. I wish him and his wife, Bridget, all the best.”

The other three delegation members also extended well wishes to the Woodwards.

“I’ve seen firsthand Mark’s enduring commitment to the highest journalistic standards, and his unwavering dedication to Bangor and the state of Maine were clearly evident in his tireless work for a legendary Maine paper that serves as the voice of the news for such a significant portion of our state,” Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe said.

Democratic Rep. Mike Michaud agreed.

“Newspapers face a lot of challenges and demands today, especially with the arrival and widespread use of the Internet. Mark has been there to steer the ship, and his vast experience has served him and the paper well,” Michaud said.

Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said, “Mark has shown leadership, vision and integrity during his nearly four decades at the Bangor Daily News. We should all be grateful for Mark’s contributions to journalism and his commitment to the community.”

Woodward said the most radical change to newspapering is the advent of e-mail and the Web, which he described as two rails of the same track that blur news and opinion.

“It has allowed anyone to pass off their commentary as news. Others seeking information find this ‘news’ that supports their own biases and become inadequately informed. This skews everything because we no longer have a common base of knowledge,” he said. Woodward indicated newspaper Web sites can help by applying the same standards for objectivity and accuracy used in the print products, thereby re-establishing that common base.

Woodward leaves a newsroom staff of 64 under Managing Editor Dowd’s direction.

“While we examine our corporate structure, Managing Editor Mike Dowd will continue to be responsible for the Editorial Department and the day-to-day newsroom operations,” Publisher Warren said.

Woodward, who has no immediate plans for his retirement, said he will miss the people he worked with the most. “The issues never go away,” he said.

Assignment Editor Jeff Tuttle contributed to this report.

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Comments
32 comments on this item
On 11/3/09 at 5:10 AM, BobByn wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

What does Bobby Orr and Mark Woodward have in common? They're both superstars on and off the ice! Congratulations Mark!

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On 11/3/09 at 5:52 AM, chicky wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

“It has allowed anyone to pass off their commentary as news. Others seeking information find this ‘news’ that supports their own biases

You mean like the paper supporting no on one???? Yeah, thats unbiased SNORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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On 11/3/09 at 7:36 AM, realhockeymom wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Must be more unbiased than you thought, chicky, because I thought they were supporting yes on one!

Best of luck Mark!

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On 11/3/09 at 8:23 AM, hockeydad99 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Congrats Mark! Let's hope in retirement you still keep hitting it hard on the ice!

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On 11/3/09 at 8:31 AM, Yesman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I for one won't miss Mr. Woodward. Under his stewardship, the BDN shifted from a middle-right paper to just one more of many emulating the hyper-liberal New York Times. Our community and our state has suffered as a result.

Please move to the middle, BDN.

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On 11/3/09 at 8:55 AM, PeterTaber wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

"Fear no more the heat o' the sun,

Nor the furious winter's rages;

Thou thy worldly task hast done,

Home art gone and ta'en thy wages;

Golden lads and girls all must,

As chimney-sweepers, come to dust."

Good luck, friend,

Peter

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On 11/3/09 at 9:10 AM, HarryHSnyderIII wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The last of the great ones leaving. That's a shame, but now you can go play shuffle-board with John Day, Marshal Stone, and "The old Dawg" (There were others). If you're retired you are too old for the ice...no? Good luck, and maybe you can (when you get bored) kick in a couple of guest editorials.

We've had disagreements, but I will sincerely miss you.

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On 11/3/09 at 9:15 AM, reaganite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

By now, the readers left reading the BDN are glad that the BDN is now a Dem. propoganda tool. This isn't rocket science, after all.

But wow, talk about biting off your nose to spite your face! The lamestream media, including the BDN, just can't seem to help itself..............that itch to propagandize must be scratched, it seems. So, away it goes..................down the drain. Paper after paper, employee after employee...............

HELP ME, scarecrow!! I'm melting!!!..................

It's kind of funny. They have it coming. They DESPISE potential readers and subscribers like me.................and what kind of business can get away with that................with despising and spitting on potential customers?? Nah, they have it coming.

Don't think it's going to happen? Well, I'm THE absolute poster child for "person who can't wait to pick the paper up off the porch and read it over breakfast". Nobody in the world beats me there. And I read the BDN maybe, once a week?? Buy it...NEVER. (ONLINE editions? GOOD LUCK making THAT business model fly!!)

But that's okay................Even as we speak, leftists are out there rounding up tens of thousands of new readers to replace ones like me, right??? lol Yep.

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On 11/3/09 at 9:21 AM, reaganite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh, and you can REST ASSURED that the BDN did not endorse YES on 1! lol...........

The interesting thing is to watch the BDN at endorsement time...............did you see last week's? It was beautiful.............6 for 6! Yawn. Supported all 6 of the leftist votes. And then tried to explain it all away as being "moderate" or something. Now THERE'S a hard piece of work for you! I can just picture the editorial writers trying to be out of the office when Woodward was trying to assign the job of making leftist endorsements sound like they're .................well, NOT leftist!

Should get double pay for THAT duty, lol.

They usually endorse Snowe (liberal Republican) and Collins (I'll be generous and say moderate). It's called tokenism...............they think this allows them to ignore the fact that they haven't supported a Rep. for president in 15 years at least.....................and it will be never happen again. They WILL be out of business before they ever endorse another Republican for major office whose last name isn't Snowe or Collins.

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On 11/3/09 at 9:32 AM, Atilla1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mark, I wish you well in retirement. Now, you can officially run for office as a Democrat. Also, perhaps you can influence Mr. Dowd (doing your old job) to not work overtime in breaking the confidence of readers by trying hard to reveal the real names of those that post online messages opposite to that of his own socialistic philosophy!

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On 11/3/09 at 9:39 AM, HarryHSnyderIII wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yeap the only thing in more trouble than the newspaper industry is the Republican party (of which I am a member) To the people who now control Republicanism stopping gays and women who wish to have abortions is more important than fiscal responsibility, and following the Constitution. On fiscal issues like world trade, illegal immigration, and outsourcing jobs, the Republicans look just like Democrats. which is why I'm changing my affiliation to independent.

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On 11/3/09 at 9:59 AM, thobert wrote: Click here to view hidden comment         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden
On 11/3/09 at 12:16 PM, Yesman wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

petertaber - your 10:34 post is simply silly.

reaganite was blowing off a little steam. Like me, he is upset that our local paper has lurched so far leftward.

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On 11/3/09 at 12:19 PM, anne_of_mdi wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Petertaber that was funny.

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On 11/3/09 at 12:36 PM, PeterTaber wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oooh, Yesman, the BDN is so far to the left it's practically a Democratic Party house organ. You think that's silly? You do understand, don't you, just how far to the left the Democratic Party under Commissar Nancy Pelosi has gone? Surely you know that these people are fearless defenders of the poor and disadvantaged, paragons of tolerance, their lives dedicated to economic fairness and world peace. I can't blame you and raygunite for wanting to blow off a little steam at the thought of just how much tolerance, economic fairness and peace the Dems and their ink-stained wretches in the local press are prepared to seek for all of us. I kind of want to blow off some steam myself. How silly of me.

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On 11/3/09 at 1:15 PM, reaganite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Peter, look---this isn't rocket science. You're probably a die hard True Believer. So OF COURSE you'd be glad that the BDN under Warren and Woodward is now a leftist propaganda organ, and of course you'd defend him. Duh.

(Although some of us from all parts of the ideological spectrum do prefer straight news----then we prefer to go somewhere OTHER than the news pages of the "newspaper" for our point-of-view commentary . I always LOVE the "Analysis" articles the BDN runs from al-Associated Press. Just a total joke...........some hardcore leftist "journalist" telling US what we should think about the world! lol)

As someone said recently, buying the BDN is like paying good money to be lied to.

lol

By the way, how come nobody told ME about that Conspiracy that you revealed, back when I was working for the BDN as a young grunt back in the 80s?? I was a hardcore, foolish, little leftist at the time................I would have been more than willing to do my part to help! lol

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On 11/3/09 at 1:46 PM, ChairmanMao wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

'As someone said recently, buying the BDN is like paying good money to be lied to.

lol"

lol!!!!

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On 11/3/09 at 1:48 PM, Jaminjelly wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yesman, have you EVER read the NY Times?! I suspect you're simply repeating something you've heard from your fuhrer Rush Limbaugh.

Keep waving the party flag, comrade, and soon your dream of all Mainers being uneducated provincial hate mongers being taken advantage of by your very own party (but too ignorant to know it) will come true!

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On 11/3/09 at 2:02 PM, reaganite wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yeah, used to love reading the NYT all the time, actually....... That was back before Pinch decided to make it Pravda West.

It was always kind of liberal, but now it's good for a laugh now and then.

How DO you write for the NYT and still call yourself a reputable JOURNALIST???!! Now THAT'S a trick!!! lol

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On 11/3/09 at 2:11 PM, Jaminjelly wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Uh, did you mean "Punch" Sulzberger? I can see you're on a first name basis with him.

Stick with Highlights magazine, reaganite. No opinions in there that might rock your limited world.

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On 11/3/09 at 3:32 PM, fedupinmillinocket wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Maybe we'll get lucky and the webmaster will be next. I know the guy in person and he's localy known as one of the biggest jerks around.

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On 11/3/09 at 3:36 PM, fedupinmillinocket wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I read in one of your posts about Mr. Dowd. Another dummy in school. Known him for years

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On 11/3/09 at 4:43 PM, SpecialEd wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The paper has been horrible since they forced Paul Reynolds out. Sadly, there is no going back to the good old days.

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On 11/3/09 at 5:00 PM, blueskiesaboveme wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

YesMan and others woundnt know the middle if it hit you upside the head with a two by four.

Just because you hear Fox News "Fair and Balanced" over and over again, doesnt make it so, or in the middle.

Go read Rupert Murdoch's New York Post if you feel confused and bothered outside of their monopoly media bubble.

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On 11/3/09 at 5:18 PM, JWBooth wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Old Bolsheviks never die, they just fade away -- if you're lucky.

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On 11/3/09 at 5:38 PM, JJohnson wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I am sorry to see Woodward go. His direction and dedication has been outstanding. Bangor has been truly fortunate to have his leadership. Hopefully the BDN will continue to remain such a quality paper after his departure. Congratulations on the retirement though. It's a great change in life.

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On 11/3/09 at 5:54 PM, Jollyroger wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Mark Woodward is a man of great integrity and intellect. He will be sorely missed at the NEWS. Mark, after so many years in the trenches, enjoy your retirement with your lovely family! I hope you find all the joys this next life chapter has to offer.

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On 11/3/09 at 7:47 PM, darthcyclonis wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Bye Bye Liberal!!!!

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On 11/3/09 at 7:52 PM, darthcyclonis wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I wish BDN would go back to being in the "middle" I like reading both sides of the story even though I lean to the right.. Fox news is way too right at times and the others are way too left. No real news organization that reports it like it is anymore. Again bye Woodward you leftist liberal!

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On 11/3/09 at 8:20 PM, PeterTaber wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Yeah, a big leftist liberal like Woodward! Ever wonder why a Republican U.S. Senator chose him as her communications director? Why, of course, to get that leftist liberal message out to the folks. Why didn't I think of that?

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On 11/3/09 at 10:19 PM, Fausto wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Reaganite, the only true conservative is Sarah Palin. Do all you can to make her the GOP nominee.

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On 11/3/09 at 10:20 PM, Fausto wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Reaganite, the only true conservative is Sarah Palin. Do all you can to make her the GOP nominee.

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