O'Keefe to Succeed Anderson as RNS Editor

By: Dave Astor David E. Anderson will step down as editor of Religion News Service in September and move to Montana with his family. But he'll remain with RNS in the newly created role of senior editor.

Succeeding Anderson, 62, will be longtime religion reporter Mark O'Keefe, 43. The latter spent the past four years as a national correspondent covering values and philanthropy for Newhouse News Service, owner of RNS. Prior to that, O'Keefe covered religion and social issues for The Oregonian in Portland and served as a religion reporter for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk. He started his career as an editor and reporter for United Press International.

Anderson began his career with UPI in 1967, and covered the civil rights and antiwar movements before being named religion reporter in 1972. He joined RNS as its Washington correspondent in 1991, and was named editor six years later. Anderson is the author of three books as well as a consultant to the "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly" TV program on the Public Broadcasting System.

Clients for the 70-year-old RNS include more than 100 daily newspapers.