From the Editor’s Desk: A world elsewhere

Cordova Times editor Zachary Snowdon Smith photographs a Black Lives Matter protest march. (May 31, 2020) Photo courtesy of David Little

On Dec. 2, I will resign the editorship of The Cordova Times and begin work for Forbes magazine.

Over the past few years, The Cordova Times has distinguished itself by its accurate and impartial handling of tricky subjects — for instance, in our Feb. 26, 2021 article “Police chief who failed to quarantine linked to virus outbreak,” a story that was picked up by Alaska Public Media. Other articles, such as our Aug. 21, 2021 article “Parents bridle under school mask rule” and our May 23, 2021 feature “Cordova needs doctors, teachers and police — but struggles to find room for them,” showed that in-depth reporting on complex topics need not be the monopoly of large papers.

This outstanding work has brought us recognition for our breaking news coverage, feature writing and photography, and has won The Cordova Times the Alaska Press Club Award for Best Weekly two years running. However, the award of which I’m proudest is our 2020 Alaska Press Club Award for Best Comprehensive Coverage of the COVID-19 Pandemic — a laurel we received in competition with the Anchorage Daily News and other large newsrooms.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t give special recognition to Annette Potter, former editor and current designer for The Cordova Times, whose technical know-how is matched only by her tact and patience. Annette’s skills have lent the front page of The Cordova Times a polish rare among smaller-circulation newspapers. Our fisheries reporter Margaret Bauman must also be recognized for her near superhuman ability to document and analyze all aspects of Alaska’s fishing industry.

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