University of Minnesota Journalism instructor J. Keith Moyer will start Thursday as editor-in-chief and senior vice president of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The newspaper drew national attention as concerns surfaced over the newspaper’s integrity under the new ownership of Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire casino owner and major Republican Party donor. One day before Moyer was hired, longtime Gannett executive Craig Moon was announced as the new publisher.
“The paper is already a very good, solid newspaper, but I am very interested in building an investigative reporting team,” Moyer said. “The newspaper has something like 30 openings, and I’m concentrating on getting those filled.”
Moyer, a senior fellow at the University, currently teaches sports and news reporting courses at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and he directs the school’s Murphy News Service. He also serves on the University’s Minnesota Journalism Center advisory panel.
“Keith has been a strong contributor to SJMC,” said University Senior Lecturer Gayle Golden. “I’m assuming he’ll put all of his experience, wisdom and talent to bear on that newsroom, and I look forward to watching what he does there.”
Moyer began teaching at the University in 2010 after six years as publisher of the Star Tribune.
“It was not my experience at the Star Tribune that Keith tried to steer the newsroom to favor one political side over the other,” Journalism Professor Chris Ison said. “I don’t think he would take that job if he thought that was going to happen there.”
Ison and Golden will take over Moyer’s classes for the rest of the semester after his last day on Wednesday.
“What I will miss the most is spending time with students and helping young journalists get better,” Moyer said.
