Vineyard Gazette hires Brian Boyd as editor

EDGARTOWN – After four decades with the Vineyard Gazette, 18 as head of the newsroom, Julie Wells passes the torch to Brian P. Boyd.

Boyd was previously an editor at Shore Publishing, which covered news from 13 Connecticut coastal towns. The society published seven weeklies and associated websites, as well as trade publications.

The search for a new editor for the Gazette took years, with COVID-19 putting a pause on efforts. Boyd’s experience with community journalism and his dedication to writing excellence make him a great fit, Wells said.

Boyd will join an editorial team that includes Bill Eville, Editor-in-Chief, Stephen Durkee, Director of Graphics and Design, and Elizabeth Bennett, Community Editor.

Longtime editor Julie Wells quits

Wells called the Gazette “a little newspaper that thinks big”. It was founded in 1846 and is independently owned. Boyd will be the broadsheet’s 10th publisher in 176 years.

Publisher Jane Seagraves said Boyd comes from a group of publications that have parallels with the Vineyard Gazette Media Group.

After:Private club on Martha’s Vineyard pleads guilty to child manslaughter

“The Vineyard has many different communities,” she said. “He really understands the need to provide news coverage to different communities in different ways.”

“Julie is a tough act to follow,” Seagraves said. “In Brian, we have found someone who is equally passionate about community journalism.”

She said Boyd’s experience, knowledge, passion and digital savvy will help the paper cope with a changing industry.

After:Embrace of natural black hair inspires festival in Oak Bluffs, marks cultural shifts

“The industry is under pressure,” Seagraves said. “We are lucky to do well.

Wells, who was inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2020, will continue with the Gazette as editor emeritus. She called the change good for the Gazette, its staff and its readers.

Contact Denise Coffey at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.

Comments are closed.