WILLIAMSON, West Va. – Longtime Williamson-area journalist Kyle Lovern has been named editor of the Williamson Daily News. The announcement was made Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2015, by Jim Lawitz, vice president of editorial operation for Civitas Media, the newspaper’s parent company…
“Kyle has guided the sports section at the Daily News into one of the best-read sections in the newspaper,” Lawitz said. “He understands local news. I have complete confidence he’ll do the same for the newspaper in general.”
Lovern said he was honored to be given the opportunity to lead his hometown newspaper.
“I will strive to guide our gifted and hard-working staff in a progressive and positive direction,” Lovern said. “Growing up with the WDN, it has been an integral component of my life and I hope that it will continue to be a part of our readers’ lives.”
“Kyle has grown as journalist and manager since coming back to the newspaper in 2012,” said Joshua Byers, regional content director. “He’s well positioned to improve the quality and depth of our coverage in Mingo County.
Lovern said that as well as continuing the high quality standard of the print edition, that he also wants to expand and engage the community through its many online portals.
“I love this area and covering home town events and the people who live here,” Lovern said. “I want to encourage community involvement and feedback from our readers. After all, this is a community newspapers, and my focus will be on the communities in Mingo County.”
Lovern most recently worked as the sports editor for the WDN. He previously was the Logan editor for the West Virginia Standard. Lovern also has public relations and marketing experience, having been the director of both at Williamson Memorial Hospital and Appalachian Regional Healthcare.
Lovern, a longstanding member of the West Virginia Sports Writers Association, has won numerous awards in news, sports and column writing as well as for photography. His features, articles and photographs have been in many distinguished publications and he is also the author of three books, with another due to be published in 2015.
Lovern was born and raised in rural Mingo County in the small community of Nolan. He is a graduate of Williamson High School, Southern West Virginia Community College and Bluefield State College, where he received his bachelor’s degree in communications.
He and his wife Vicki reside in Williamson and have three grown children, Tina Mullins, Erin Bevins and Matt Lovern, four granddaughters, Gracie, Gabbie, Reese and Ella, and a rescued stray Beagle named Petey.
Located in Davidson, N.C., Civitas Media has more than 100 publications, many of which have served their communities for more than a century. Civitas, Latin for “community” or “citizen,” employs more than 1,200 associates across 12 states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Tennessee.