University of Virginia Library

Veterans Fired

Among the first reporters to be fired were
Jerry Simpson and Alan Bruns, associate state
editor and state editor respectively. Mr. Runser
characterizes Mr. Simpson as "Just about the
best writer we had, one of the most interesting
to read. He had been with the Progress close to
20 years." Mr. Bruns has been described as "a
very good political analyst" by a University
administrator. As Mr. Runser understood the
course of events both men were let go in June
when they were called into the managing
editor's office and told it was their last day.
"There was no warning as far as I know."

The head of the Progress sports department,
Chris Cramer, left the paper when he was
informed that his job as a radio announcer
constituted a conflict of interest and that he
would have to decide between one job or
another. Some consider Mr. Cramer to be a
sports writer of national renown.

Other key personnel were let go or not
rehired after they had been on leave.

"The staff was told they were almost at a
dead end." Mr. Runser explained. "There were
no raises in sight and very little chance to move
up."

Early in July, Ben Kent was appointed to
the newly-created position of editor, and
Assistant City Editor Bill Acres was made the
managing editor to fill the position Mr. Kent
had vacated. Mr. Acres is described by Mr.
Runser as a Worrell yes-man: "The management
knew that he was the kind of guy who would
do what they wanted done since he had worked
for them before."

Mr. Acres came to the Progress from a job as
news director of Radio Station WAYB in
Waynesboro; prior to that he had worked as
new editor on the Worrell-owned Pulki
Southwest Times, where, according to Mr.
Runser, he worked under, and became good
friends with, Mr. Rooker.

Thus arose a situation where a man who had
worked for the Progress for only two years was
made responsible for the daily production of
the news and the supervision of the reporting
and photography staff. In September of this
year Mr. Rooker was named co-publisher of the
Progress. At the same time as the
announcement of his new position as
co-publisher, it was announced that he had also
been named to the vice-presidency of Worrell
Newspapers.