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And Petrella makes 8

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Illinois

* Petrella is the second Statehouse reporter poached by the Tribune for its editor ranks in the past couple of months and the 8th Statehouse reporter to leave their bureaus during that same time period…

DAN PETRELLA, 32, the Statehouse bureau chief for Lee Enterprises newspapers, is leaving that post to work as an assistant editor for the business section of the Chicago Tribune. He starts there Jan. 30.

Petrella has been in his current job for a year, providing coverage for newspapers in the Quad Cities, Decatur, Carbondale, Bloomington, Charleston-Mattoon and Munster, Indiana, which is in the Chicagoland area.

He’s a native of the Chicago suburb of Lombard, and still has family there. He’s got undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Illinois in Urbana, including his journalism master’s. His wife, JULIA, is a doctoral student in library and information science there, and will periodically commute as she completes that work. […]

“Having grown up reading the Tribune and being inspired to go into journalism because of the Tribune, it was just impossible to pass up an opportunity to go and work there.”

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:08 am

Comments

Poached. Is that because it was the Trib?

Anywho, it seems like he has a new opportunity. Good for him.

Comment by Deft Wing Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:15 am
Any word on whether Lee plans to fill this vacancy?

Or are the corporate bean counters that run newsrooms already touting the savings to their bosses?

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:17 am
Dan is a superb guy. To say he’s paid his dues would be the understatement of the new year. Good for him.

Comment by A guy Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:22 am
The public loses, the statehouse press corps loses…

Rauner’s “Vertical Integration” continues to win when the number if reporters continues to decline.

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:28 am
No worries. Illinois Policy Institute fake news will fill the vacuum.

Comment by Roman Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 9:38 am
Mr/ms roman…don’t forget Profit’s far papers filling the gap too

Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 10:30 am
An assistant editor? That indicates the troncs still have editors. Who knew?

Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 12:04 pm
Maybe my phone should start ringing?

Comment by John Gregory (ex-IRN) Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 12:31 pm
Cancelled my Trib. subscription last week. Statehouse coverage, Trib’s opposition to investment in the public good, endorsement of Gary Johnson (and others), and Trib’s twisted rationalizing of all things Rauner all contributed to the decision to subscribe elsewhere.

Mr. Petrella sounds like a sensible gentleman however. All the best to him. And here’s hoping he moves the Trib to view the challenges facing Illinois with more balance.

Comment by Jack Jackson Tuesday, Jan 17, 17 @ 12:42 pm