University of Virginia Library

Two Others Leave

Again according to Mr. Runser,
it was after the promotion of Mr.
Acres and Mr. Kent that two more
key reporters left the Progress. Bob
Wimer, on the education beat, and
Nancy Talmont, who covered
county government, left the paper,
and were soon followed by Ted
McKowen, on the city hall beat; all
of these employees being what Mr.
Runser describes as "very good
reporters."

Mrs. Talmont is on leave of
absence for graduate school, and
has indicated she may return to the
Progress. Mr. Wimer is now working
as the managing editor of The
Amherst New Era Progress and The
Nelson County Times.

By September, Mr. Runser
himself had given notice, as had
Rey Barry, a reporter who covered
the events at the University.

Mr. Runser explained, "A good
paper was not a good paper any
longer. It was just being destroyed.
I think that was the reason most of
the good, experienced people left."

He went on to relate that within
the past few years the Progress had
built itself to where is ad a "very
solid" reporting staff with good
editors on the desks. "All of us
together had tried to put out a
newspaper that had a good balance
between national, international and
local news. We were cutting down
on what we thought of as trivia."

The Newsroom At The Progress' Downtown Office

Former Staffers Replaced With New, Inexperienced Young People

Lindsay Mount

Co-Publisher Of The Progress