Robert Huschka, the managing director of The Detroit Free Press, has been appointed to the newspaper’s top editorial job, the Free Press announced Tuesday.
Huschka succeeds Paul Anger, who retired in May after a journalism career that spanned nearly five decades.
Huschka, who has been filling in as executive editor at the Free Press since Anger’s departure, rose through the ranks at the newspaper before being named executive editor. Previously, he was assistant managing editor, news director and design director for news.
In a statement to the Free Press, Huschka affirmed his commitment to sustaining the paper’s legacy of public service journalism:
The words ‘ON GUARD’ have appeared on the Detroit Free Press for more than 80 years. Any discussion of the evolution of the Free Press should begin and end with those words.
Huschka’s appointment to the Free Press’ editorship comes as many large metropolitan newspapers are tightening their belts in the face of decreased print advertising. The Freep is owned by Gannett, which recently underwent a spinoff that uncoupled its more lucrative broadcast and digital assets from its newspapers.
Huschka’s appointment was announced minutes ago in the Free Press newsroom, per a staffer there:
Robert Huschka named new top #Detroit Free Press editor. @freep @MakingNews @Poynter @romenesko
— Zlati Meyer (@Zlatimeyer) August 11, 2015
