The times are changing, none more generationally than at The Seattle Times, this city’s sole surviving daily newspaper. In November, publisher and CEO Frank Blethen announced significant news. After serving four decades, Frank is stepping aside in favor of his son Ryan Blethen.
On January 1, Ryan will become the fifth generation of Blethens to head The Seattle Times, the paper founded by his great-great-grandfather Alden Blethen in 1896. The Times remains one of the few family-owned newspapers still standing in this nation’s fraught media sector.
Ryan’s succession as publisher has been heralded by many readers, a sign that The Times will continue as a stabilizing force for the city and the state. Ryan will not only lead The Seattle Times, but also the Walla Walla Union Bulletin and the Yakima Herald Republic as dependable, go-to sources of news. After stepping down, Frank will continue as board chair while the Times chief financial officer, Alan Fisco, will become CEO and work closely with Ryan.
News of Ryan’s elevation as publisher brought back memories for me, a Seattle Times retiree. I recall how Frank Blethen had once made a practice of introducing fifth generation Blethens to the Times. As offspring of Frank and his cousins — Bob, Bill, and John — reached maturity, each rotated through the organization. They might spend a week working in the newsroom and other weeks in advertising, distribution, the library, photography lab, and at the printing plant.
It was back during Ryan’s training week in the Seattle newsroom that I got to know him. I just happened to walk past the assignment desk when the managing editor said, “This week we’ve got Ryan Blethen. It’s a hectic week and I can’t think where to assign him.” At the time, I was writing a four-days-a-week city column and was forever looking for newsy items. I told the editor: “Look no further. I’ve always longed to have a leg man for my column. I’d love to have Ryan’s help.”
After we had a short “get-to-know-you” chat, Ryan set out to “find” news items for the column. I directed him to the immediate South Lake Union neighborhood. I suggested dropping by the “nines,” a favorite lunch spot across Fairview North from the Times. Ryan was away for a couple of days and came back with a full notebook. Obviously, he has that indefinable something: a nose for news.
At week’s end, my only regret was that Ryan was sent off on other assignments and I never again had help gathering column material. Still there can’t be many columnists who can brag about having once had a budding publisher as a leg man.
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