Thank you, North Texas, for your warm welcome

From the first time I briefly visited Dallas, until a few weeks ago when I officially made the city my home, I’ve always had the same thought: it’s a community whose members care deeply about each other.

And this is the one who greeted me and kissed me with open arms as I started to explore the city. I have visited and eaten at restaurants in Lowest Greenville, Knox-Henderson and Uptown, downtown and Frisco before, took a gondola ride in Las Colinas, heard live music at Deep Ellum and walked around for two in NorthPark Center.

I even watched an LSU (Geaux Tigers) game with other Lower Greenville alumni. I hope to see a Saints game there soon as well. It’s my national team, but I appreciate that I now live among so many passionate Cowboys fans.

Pretty much everywhere I have visited, “Welcome to Texas” is what I heard from so many of you as soon as you found out that I was a new resident.

I am touched and honored to be able to serve you as Editor-in-Chief of The morning news from Dallas, an article I have admired since my days at LSU, where a professor once told me how lucky I would be if I ever got a job here.

It is also a privilege. Since college, journalism is all I ever wanted to do.

And every opportunity I have had to work in journalism, first as a student in my hometown newspaper, Avocado from Baton Rouge, then later to The Virginian-Pilot and in recent years to Greenville News in South Carolina and Indianapolis Star, I have never lost sight of why I love this job.

And I certainly won’t be doing it here in Dallas, where I plan to live for many years.

The reason I was so drawn to journalism is that I wanted to share the stories of those who have been neglected, to do the kind of work that forces those we elect and must respect, to find the hidden gems that lie in every city that makes Dallas and so many others unique and special.

I’ve said it before, and you’ll probably hear me say it again: No prosperous, growing and energetic city can really succeed without a strong media organization.

It is clear that many of you are feeling this too.

In emails and phone calls during my first few weeks, you shared your thoughts on the stories we posted, sometimes offered suggestions on how to write more about certain issues, and sometimes you also have asked why we had chosen to highlight a problem.

We welcome all comments.

As I get to know Dallas and continue to hold weekly meetings to introduce myself to so many of you, know that I do so with the mission that the founders of the company articulated so eloquently there. almost 136 years ago.

We’re committed to covering issues that impact daily life in North Texas.

And although so much is different in journalism today since the founding of the newspaper, I can tell you with confidence that our mission has not and will not change.

The morning news from Dallas seeks to report on problems and also on solutions; we seek to scrutinize, highlight and investigate.

We want to be your first local destination for information on the issues that affect you today and tomorrow and in the years to come.

In my first few weeks working alongside our passionate and talented staff, we covered and exclusively broken stories about how a mistake made by an IT professional at Dallas City Hall resulted in the postponement of the trial for the murder of at least one man and questions about how local prosecutors can safely proceed with dozens of other criminal cases in which evidence may be missing.

We took you to a local pediatric hospital that is overwhelmed with young COVID-19 patients.

And we’ve provided you with up-to-the-minute scores and results from dozens of local high school soccer games on Thursday and Friday nights.

We fiercely protect our commitment by working to make a difference.

The news’ reporters care about North Texas and North Texas as much as you do. They went to school here, bought houses, moved our aging parents here, and some of us now send our children to school here. And like me, they eat and support local restaurants and countless other businesses on a daily basis.

They cannot do their important work without your support.

So if you haven’t already, subscribe The morning news from Dallas and support the dozens of journalists who are dedicated to serving you.

If we are not part of your daily life, I hope we will be soon.