Bob Quinn, a managing editor at Straus News for the last 17 years will retire at year end. During his time at Straus News, he led The Warwick Advertiser, The Photo News and more recently The Chronicle and West Milford Messenger.
The publications he shepherded won numerous state and national awards including First Place recognition in 2020 from the New York Press Association for education coverage. In the past three years the papers he oversaw were recognized by various news organizations for sports coverage, business news, photography and investigative reporting.
Reflections
“Beyond all the awards, Bob Quinn is an outstanding community news editor,” said Jeanne Straus, President and Publisher of Straus News. “He has his ear to the ground, he listens and then he works his magic assembling all the elements to create a killer package of need-to-know local news in print and online. Other companies hire focus groups. We hired Bob Quinn. We will miss his wise counsel and great judgment.”
“Bob trims copy with the precision of a surgeon,” according to Becca Tucker, reporter for this newspaper and the editor and publisher of Dirt magazine. “Often on reading a piece of mine after he’s edited it, I can’t tell where he’s cut, only that the word count is mercifully lower and the story now trots along at an unencumbered pace.
“There’s an old Buddhist saying: the master is never in a hurry, and that’s the best way I can describe Bob. No matter what deadline(s) he’s under, he never comes off as stressed or harried. When you walk over to his desk, he pushes back his chair, crosses his arms and looks you in the eye. And after working together on a story, he always manages to find a moment to tell you something he liked: a colorful quote, well-researched stats or, best of all: ‘it reads short.’”
“It has been both a pleasure and an education to have Bob Quinn as my editor these many years,” said Roger Gavan, a longtime writer for the paper. “When he discovered an error in one of my stories he would send an email that asked if I meant John Smoth or John Smith. Of course he knew the correct answer but it was a gentle reminder for me to catch my own typos. Bob also taught me the importance of including details in my articles like the amount of the final proceeds from an organization’s fundraiser. And he always complimented me for a good story or photograph. I will certainly miss him but I wish him all the best on a well-deserved retirement.”
New leadership
Jessica Cohen will take over for Quinn at the turn of the year. Most recently Cohen launched Tri-State Lookout, an online news site covering Port Jervis, NY, and surrounding towns. Prior to that Cohen worked as a reporter and freelancer for national magazines and then covering local news for the Times Herald-Record, The Pike County Dispatch and Wallkill Valley Times. She graduated from UCLA Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude with a degree in journalism and psychology. She has an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College.
“Jessica is a terrific journalist and dedicated newshound who cares about community and knows how to tell a great story. We welcome her aboard and look forward to showcasing her work on all our platforms,” said Straus. “We’re confident she’s going to be a great addition to our team.”