By: (AP) Heath J. Meriwether, who led the
Detroit Free Press as it won two Pulitzer Prizes, said Thursday he will retire as publisher in December.
Meriwether, 59, joined the
Free Press as executive editor in 1987 and became publisher on Jan. 1, 1996. He came to Detroit from
The Miami Herald, where he spent 17 years in jobs from reporter to executive editor. The
Herald won four Pulitzers under his leadership.
"I'll miss, terribly, the people and the journalism of the
Free Press. But I've always wanted to leave when I still had the energy and enthusiasm for the next adventures and when the leadership was in such good hands," Meriwether said.
Meriwether said his long-term goal had been to try something different by the time he was 60. His 60th birthday is in January.
Tony Ridder, chairman and CEO of Knight Ridder, the parent company of the
Free Press, praised Meriwether as a superb leader. "He has kept the newsroom focused on outstanding journalism that benefits the communities the
Free Press serves."
Knight Ridder did not immediately announce a new publisher.
The
Free Press was founded in 1831. As of March 31, the paper had a weekday circulation of 360,100.
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