Managing Editor Julie Turner Moving to New Role

By Joan Bowen and Ginni Spencer,
Co-Presidents, The Bedford Citizen

The Bedford Citizen announces today that long-time Managing Editor Julie Turner will be stepping down. The change was made known to the Board of Directors at The Citizen’s Annual Meeting on June 15.  Turner will remain Managing Editor until a successor is named.

Turner is also a Founder of The Citizen along with Meredith McCulloch and Kim Siebert.  In 2012 the three women saw an opportunity for a digital newspaper in Bedford which would have a “hyper-local” focus aimed at enhancing informed citizen participation.  Turner took on the role of Managing Editor which at that time was more akin to “chief organizer” as the fledging operation began posting its first stories.

Over the ensuing ten years as The Citizen grew into a respected local news outlet with over 2000 subscribers, Turner provided critical leadership in content and website development.  Perhaps even more importantly, she has been both a strong voice in the articulation of The Citizen’s mission and a steady hand in its implementation.

Ginni Spencer, co-president of The Citizen with Joan Bowen, said “Julie is a tireless promoter of The Citizen in every way – generating content, identifying new subscribers, finding writers, developing financial support.  She is always looking for ways to enhance and extend our coverage.”

Turner expects to stay associated with The Citizen in a new role currently under development, according to Joan Bowen, co-president (with Spencer) of the Board of Directors.  “Julie will continue to be a tremendous asset to The Citizen as it moves into its second decade. We are so grateful that she will continue to be an important part of The Citizen going forward.”

Other changes are afoot at The Citizen as well.  A search for a content manager will begin shortly and this will be announced in The Citizen along with a job description and other details. The search for a new Managing Editor will begin later in the summer and will also be announced in The Citizen.