Thankful, grateful and blessed

During this challenging time in news media, it’s important to applaud each other, lift each other up and push each other to give our best. That’s what a Publisher of the Year does, and Chris Reen is the epitome of what we were searching for in a publisher.”

Robin Blinder, editor-in-chief, Editor & Publisher

When Mike and I took over E&P, one of our goals was to highlight the people in our industry, which is why we have done so many salutes over the years. My favorite salute, however, is our Publisher of the Year award. With over 100 years of honorees, the E&P Publisher of the Year is our showcase salute that includes a feature story, beautiful crystal trophy and the publisher’s photo on the cover of our November issue.

Our 2025 Publisher of the Year, Chris Reen, is a shining example of what we honor in this salute. His nomination and subsequent interviews with colleagues underscored his traits of leadership, innovation and professionalism. Repeatedly, we heard stories of Chris’ impact on his colleagues, his organizations, his communities and our industry.

This year, we received numerous nominations for Publisher of the Year — and so many were very, very deserving. Publishers from legacy publications and digital-only news organizations, all sizes, all types of communities and various backgrounds were nominated for this E&P honor. I’m so grateful for those of you who took the time to nominate a publisher this year. It’s only with your participation that we can successfully recognize those in our industry who are doing good, uplifting news media and addressing the problems we’re all facing.

Chris Reen, E&P's 2025 Publisher of the Year is honored for his approachable optimism, reverence for journalism and a record of innovation, resilience and service to community.

During this challenging time in news media, it’s important to applaud each other, lift each other up and push each other to give our best. That’s what a Publisher of the Year does, and Chris Reen is the epitome of what we were searching for in a publisher.

The takeaway for me is that there will always be those who step up to lead, connect and celebrate others. Our initial goal of highlighting people is still going strong. We at E&P hope you’ll join us. If your publisher (editor or other colleague) wasn’t chosen this time, take this opportunity to honor them in some way — send them a copy of your nomination, take them to lunch or just say a few words of thanks for what they are doing. We all need more positivity and gratitude — and your efforts may just make their day.

To follow my own suggestion, I want to recognize and thank all of those who help us make E&P the best it can be — our writers (Bob Miller, Bob Sillick, Diane Sylvester, Gretchen Peck and Tandy Lau), our columnists (Doug Phares, Guy Tasaka, Imtiaz Patel, Jeff Sleete, Rob Tornoe, Shannon Kinney, Todd Handy and Tom Davidson), our CRO Kim Safran, our advertisers, sponsors and marketing partners, all of you who reach out with tips, ideas, questions and concerns and, most of all, our readers and listeners (to E&P Reports). We wouldn’t be here without you and your contributions to E&P and our industry. Count me grateful and thankful for all of you.

Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for six years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com.