A journalist whose reporting has ranged from hyperlocal coverage of Michigan suburbs to the Iraq War and whose editing has spanned the evolution of print and digital editions has been named executive editor of the Columbia Missourian.
Ruby L. Bailey, 51, a local news editor at the Sacramento Bee, will begin her new role on July 1. She will be the first woman to lead the Missourian’s coverage in the newspaper’s 109 years.
“This is an awesome responsibility, but also a privilege to represent the industry I love and to help students prepare to take the baton and take over,” Bailey said.
“This is my chance to give back to a career and a life that has blessed me so richly and to help ensure that the function of the press remains strong. That starts in communities.”
Bailey also will hold the Missouri School of Journalism’s Missouri Community Newspaper Management chair, working with community newspapers across the state to help improve their coverage and operations.
“Ruby Bailey brings a rare set of skills and experience that make her the ideal next leader of the Columbia Missourian,” said David Kurpius, dean of the school and publisher of the Missourian. “She cares deeply about connecting with communities, telling important stories and doing so in a way that keeps pace with the constant state of change in journalism today.”
At the Sacramento Bee, she led a team of reporters focused on increasing and improving the Bee’s digital content. She has experience covering and editing all aspects of local news, including business, entertainment and feature coverage.
Previously she worked for 16 years at the Detroit Free Press, where she was an assistant metro editor focused on improving the newspaper’s online edition. She also covered the 9/11 attacks, was embedded with the U.S. Navy to cover Operation Iraqi Freedom, was a Washington correspondent and a business and enterprise reporter. Before that she worked as a reporter at the Detroit News and the Flint Journal. Sheearned a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University.
“Ruby Bailey is the bold, innovative and experienced leader this community newspaper needs,” said Major Garrett, chief White House correspondent for CBS News and president of the Missourian Publishing Association, the non-profit Missourian’s governing board. “She is a reporter and newsroom leader who excelled as technology changed and economic challenges multiplied.”
At the Missourian, students learn the practice of journalism by covering real news for a real audience. Its editors are members of the Journalism School’s faculty, but the reporting, photography, design and production of the print and digital editions are done by students of the school.
“My mission has always been to serve the readers. Whether interviewing a beat cop or the president of the United States, I was working to serve the readers,” Bailey said.
“When you come to Columbia with that kind of background, Columbia becomes home and its concerns are my concerns. Its successes and challenges are mine.”
At the Columbian, Bailey replaces Mike Jenner, who has served as interim executive editor since January 2017. Jenner will return to his role on the journalism school faculty as the Houston Harte Endowed Chair.
