For the past decade, Nancy Ancrum has led the Miami Herald’s editorial board. They’ve had many successes under her leadership, including last summer’s Pulitzer Prize win for their series of editorials titled, Broken Promises.
It exposed the failure of politicians and developers to follow through on pledges to build a slew of local projects, from parks to public transportation. It was a showcase of the power of opinion journalism to spotlight a city’s triumphs and tragedies. And it was a robust example of Ancrum’s leadership.
Her editorial page has fostered invaluable dialogue in a metropolis whose remarkable diversity is a community blessing — but can also be a communication barrier. So we can only say that Nancy Ancrum is going out on top: she’s retiring at the end of this month.
On the South Florida Roundup, WLRN’s Tim Padgett spoke to Ancrum about the ups and downs of leading the Miami Herald editorial board.
"I have been thinking about retiring for a while. I do think that it is always a good idea to move on when you've done it to free up a very influential position for someone else," said Ancrum.
“I live in a community where we see the same names running for office. You know, taking a break and then coming back. And I always say, ‘Oh, give it a rest.' Well, it's time for me to give it a rest."
The departing editorial page editor is a native New Yorker, and before coming to the Miami Herald 40 years ago, she worked for the Baltimore Sun and USA Today. After years of being city desk editor, a friend at the Herald encouraged her to apply for the role of editorial board editor.
In 2013, she got the job. She says the role has made her a better person and that it’s the best job she’s ever had.
“It just allows me to meet so many people. It allows me to hear from so many people. Not everyone I want to hear from, of course, but it also has made me a better listener,” she said. “People feel so appreciated if you just listen to them.”
When she joined the ranks as editorial board editor, Ancrum was very intent on bringing more of the community’s voices into the work of the editorial board. She found innovative ways to engage the public through the paper, digitally and on social media.
Just this year, the Miami Herald produced a podcast titled Woke Wars, with help from WLRN. It’s an eight-episode podcast series that goes deeper into Florida's culture wars.
In opinion journalism in the age of Fox and MSNBC, Ancrum says too much of it has devolved into a zero-sum game of 'I'm good, you're evil,’ instead of a discussion. She says this is why she considers their work at the Herald to be true opinion journalism.
“Yes, you want to provoke people, but you want people to think. You want people to learn something first. To learn a fact or two and to process it before that knee jerks, and I think that we have been able to convey that in all of our editorials in terms of the calm tone that we use.” said Ancrum.
Looking back, Ancrum sees the community seeking out the editorial board as one of the most gratifying parts of the job. She says not just politicians and elected officials, but real people who are working in the community look to them “because they know they will get a hearing. A fair hearing, and it is good for us to know what is going on out there.”
In her absence and for the future of opinion journalism at the Miami Herald, Ancrum hopes that the newspaper continues to be a platform for a broad variety of voices.
“I made it my business when I had a discussion with people at a party, a cocktail party or an art opening. If someone was involved in something really interesting, I would say, ‘Please write us an op-ed about that. People need to know.’ And so I hope that the ... broadening of voices presented on our page and online continues,” said Ancrum.
You can listen to the full conversation at the audio link above.
