Hello, Petaluma.
My name is Tyler Silvy, and I’m honored to be the new editor for the Petaluma Argus-Courier at a pivotal time in the city’s history.
I step into this role amid a crippling pandemic that has killed and sickened our fellow residents, shuttered local businesses and upended our lives. As vaccines slowly course their way through the population, allowing hope for a return to normalcy, the community faces the tenable aftershocks of last summer’s sweeping Black Lives Matter protest movement – the nation’s largest.
We’re grappling with the daily heartbreak of homelessness, the all-too-connected housing crisis and a climate emergency that requires big, bold ideas and bigger, bolder action.
And the city, buttressed by a voter-approved sales tax, is now embarking on an historic General Plan update, inviting residents from all walks of life to weigh in on a central question we must all ask ourselves: What do we want to be?
I believe the Petaluma Argus-Courier has a critical role to play in this moment, and I know our staff has the talent and the heart to rise to this great challenge.
But first, a little about me: I’m a fan of food and beer. I play disc golf and harmonica, and I read news for fun. I’m inspired constantly by my wife, Rose, who is studying to become a librarian, a career she’s long been passionate about. We have a 2-year-old girl, Nellie, who has used the pandemic to develop exciting new ways to endanger herself, and a son, Harper, whose fearless moxie could power a rocket ship to the moon.
Some of you may recognize me as the former county government reporter and Sunday editor for The Press Democrat, where I have worked since July 2019.
But I’ve spent the past 10 years making my way west, and preparing for just this role.
Starting in a fading oil town in Oklahoma, I moved to Colorado, settling in Fort Collins, then Greeley, a cattle country hub-turned gas patch boomtown.
Along the way, I’ve been a copy editor and designer, covered high school sports and education and I’ve spent the past half-decade covering government – from city council chambers to the state house.
My stay in Colorado culminated with an 18-month stint as Deputy Editor for The Greeley Tribune, where I helped lead a stellar team produce an award-winning, community-focused newspaper.
I plan to do the same here.
Community news, I believe, is the heartbeat of the journalism world. It’s a calling for journalists who live, work and play in the communities they cover. And for the readers we serve, community-centered journalism is more vital than anything produced by even the largest news organizations.
I was lucky enough to start my career under the mentorship of Greeley Tribune Editor Randy Bangert, a Colorado journalism giant who died of cancer shortly after he retired. Randy always said a strong local newspaper holds a mirror up to the community it serves. There are times when some of us don’t like what we see in that mirror. Other times, we welcome our reflection.
As I step into this new role, I promise you this: I will hold a mirror up to myself as editor, and to the Argus-Courier every day.
Accountability and public records reporting has been a constant for me in my career. Watchdog reporting is a crucial part of a strong community news operation, but I also believe in striking a balance, telling human stories and always being part of the conversation.
We’re going to innovate. We’ll take advantage of being a small and nimble – but mighty – staff to quickly pivot when necessary to ensure we’re best serving our community. That, of course, includes a commitment to reaching you where you’re at, whether that be on your front porches and driveways on Thursdays or on your cell phones and tablets at all hours of the day.
We’ve got a great crew here, and I’m happy to be a part of the team. But I’m equally ecstatic to become part of the community.
I’d love to hear from you, Petaluma. Please reach out. Call. Email. And when we’ve put this pandemic behind us, walk through that office door. I’ve always believed covering a community takes a team effort, and I look forward to working with you.
Tyler Silvy is editor of the Petaluma Argus-Courier. Reach him at tyler.silvy@arguscourier.com, 776-8458, or @tylersilvy on Twitter.