Farewell (but not goodbye) to Citizen-Times editorial page editor Joy Franklin

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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In a column in today’s Asheville Citizen-Times, Editorial Page Editor Joy Franklin signs off. Today (Sunday) is her last day in that post, a position she’s held at the newspaper for about 10 years, I’m guessing. I tried to find some biographical information on Joy, but didn’t have much luck, so I’ll have to go by memory here.

Joy was hired on as executive editor of the Hendersonville Times-News back in 1989. Prior to that, I believe she worked as a newspaper reporter, but I don’t have the details.

When Joy joined the Citizen-Times, it was a big deal. The newspaper felt it was snatching a strong community voice from the only other daily newspaper in Western North Carolina. Easy-going, polite, thoughtful and insightful on local issues, Franklin helped re-energize the opinion pages of the Citizen-Times that many felt were not very inclusive or reflective of all the points of view in the mountains.

Joy’s soft manner was the perfect camouflage for the toughness she had to exhibit on a daily basis, as she handled all the competing voices of the opinion page, refereed ideological debates and defended her newspaper’s own stances. The hot button issues during her tenure were many of the same hot button issues we still debate, from politics to economics to gay rights. O, and don’t forget the endless arguing over the interpretation of various Bible passages.

The editorial page editor used to be one of the most powerful positions in a local community. Before this crazy age of the Internet and blogs and such, a community really turned to the local newspaper for guidance on issues. A negative Sunday editorial could crush a local project, or give a community proposal a huge boost toward success. That role is diminished now, but Joy Franklin worked during a period when that power was still there.

In Joy’s column, she dodges any reflection on her body of work, instead focusing on the making of apple stack cakes. That’s too bad, because after 34 years in the newspaper business, I’m sure she has some valuable thoughts and advice on where she’s been and where this community, and our newspaper, is headed.

Franklin ays she’ll continue to serve on the newspaper’s editorial board and she’ll be a contributing editor, which I assume means she’ll write occasional columns.

My friend Jim Buchanan will take the helm as Citizen-Times editorial page editor.

Joy and Jim, I wish you guys all the best.