We Congrtulate Pam Platt And Debby Yetter On Their New Assignments Leading The Louisville Courier Journal Editorial Board.

Pam Platt, Debby Yetter to lead Courier-Journal editorial department
The Courier-Journal

The Courier-Journal’s Editorial Department is undergoing a change in leadership, with two longtime voices departing and an award-winning reporter joining the team.

Keith Runyon, editor of opinion pages and book editor who has worked at the paper for 43 years, and Stephen Ford, editor of editorials, who has 42 years of service, are taking early retirement packages offered by The Courier-Journal’s parent company, Gannett.

Pam Platt, an editorial writer and columnist, will replace Runyon as editorial director. Platt, a 35-year Gannett employee, spent eight years as editorial page editor at Florida Today before joining the Courier-Journal in 2001 as Public Editor.

In addition, award-winning veteran reporter Debby Yetter, who has covered human services, federal court and government since joining the Louisville Times in 1984, will join the editorial department as an editorial writer.

“Pam’s promotion and Debby’s move to the editorial department will ensure a strong editorial voice for The Courier-Journal for years to come,” said Bennie Ivory, The Courier-Journal’s executive editor and vice president of news. “They bring passion and a depth of knowledge of the topics that are most important to our community and region.”

The editorial board, which includes the publisher and the newspaper editor, develops editorial positions on everything from political candidates to community issues.

“The Courier-Journal has a long and strong editorial tradition that features a passionate institutional voice and an equally healthy sharing of views by readers,” Platt said. “This tradition is critical to the lives of people and place, and I’m very proud to be part of it.”

Ford said he’s proud of the role The Courier-Journal’s commentary has played over the years in helping make “Kentucky’s schools better, its coal mines safer, its public officials more accountable and its environment cleaner.”

Runyon noted that his departure marks “the last member of the old Bingham editorial board to leave the staff, and, I am aware that with me goes a part of this newspaper’s history.”

Gannett Co. Inc., owner of Courier-Journal Media, announced the buyouts earlier this year, which were offered to 42 employees aged 56 or older with at least 20 years of service. Twenty-six were granted within The Courier-Journal, including 18 from the editorial and news departments.