Legendary Editor Jim Bellows Dies at 86

By: E&P Staff In his 2002 memoir, editor Jim Bellows wrote, "I am never happier than when someone hands me a newspaper that is either not very good or in deep financial trouble." And those who worked with him over three decades spent in the newsroom understood just how much a staff could benefit from his guidance.

Through the course of two decades beginning in the 1960s, the lanky Bellows helped turn the New York Herald Tribune, the Washington Star and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner into better newspapers by fostering good writing and reporting, and had a healthy respect for the New Journalism. He may not have been able to reverse those newspapers? financial fortunes, but he knew good writing when he saw it -- and cultivated such talents as Jimmy Breslin, Judith Crist, Dick Schaap, Richard Reeves and Tom Wolfe, among others.

Bellows was one of that rare breed of editors: ones that are comfortable around good writers ? and bravely encourage them to stretch their limits. He also was a strong proponent of women in the newsroom, evidenced in part by his open support of Diane K. Shah, one of the first female sports columnists, and Mary Anne Dolan, who succeeded him as editor of the Herald Examiner to the first female editor of a major daily.

Ironically, Bellows, who spent his career encouraging great storytelling, was known for his not-too-articulate style of verbal communication. He would often speak in mumbles and gestures.

After retiring from the newspaper business he went to work in television, where he gave ?Entertainment Tonight? a much-needed infusion of spirit and substance and helped the show turn its ratings around. He later turned to the Internet, helping to direct content for Prodigy and Excite.

The following is from a 2002 interview on the PBS "NewsHour" with Terence Smith and Bellows.
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TERENCE SMITH: What's the future hold in this business that you've been in so long, in journalism? Is the answer the Internet, will newspapers still be around, will they still be on newsprint?

JIM BELLOWS: You're going to have a newspaper that's delivered there at your home every day, but it's not going to be market quotes, it's not going to be baseball statistics; it's going to be commentary and opinion, but you're going to be able to get that other material that you want by the computer world and everything else.

TERENCE SMITH: Jim, what worries you, if anything, about journalism today? When you look at the news business and you look at everything from newspapers to the 24-hour news channels, any cause of concern?

JIM BELLOWS: The newspapers now are too tame. And you need more people with passion who are willing to take risks and have a commitment to making a difference.

TERENCE SMITH: Too tame when you look across the country, too tame? Papers that... you see papers that ought to be more adventurous?

JIM BELLOWS: Yes, and they ought to take risks, which they've got to, it's productive to be helpful to people to make a better life and make sense out of the news.