Big Hit

by Paul Curci

If you've ever played baseball, then you've probably felt the adrenaline rush that occurs when your most reliable clutch hitter comes to bat in the late innings of a close game. Especially with runners in scoring position.

Brian Howard isn't referred to as BH because they're his initials. He earned the nickname as the clutch-hitting member of the City Paper softball team that won several championships on Palumbo Field at 10th and Bainbridge. The BH stands for Big Hit. Every time we needed one, Brian delivered.

Three years ago, while conducting a national search for a new editor in chief, I remember saying to a colleague, "You know, if it were three years from now, I'd be offering the position to Brian Howard." Brian was a section editor at the time, and didn't have a lot of management experience. He had a lot of other qualities. Ones you can't teach.

You can't teach empathy. You can't teach journalistic instincts. You can't teach people to have an insatiable curiosity, or to be active listeners.

History teachers (and my older brother) will tell you that in order to know where you're going, it helps to understand where you've come from. Brian Howard benefited from working closely with some great editors: David Warner, Howard Altman and Duane Swierczynski. He knows the history of the paper and he knows Philadelphia. He's also the embodiment of our target reader: young, smart and politically and culturally engaged. He prefers his bike to his car, understands local and national music trends, and is passionate about all things Philly ... especially its baseball team. He knows the difference between a viable, progressive idea and a half-baked, trendy one. He's invested in the city. South Philly, to be exact.

I read somewhere recently that "relevance is a meeting of content, language and audience at a 'harmonic spot.' It's a newspaper in tune with its readers." With Brian in charge, City Paper is about to become even more relevant than it has been.

Three years ago, we conducted a national search, and chose a good guy right in our hometown. This time, we didn't need to look at all. I'm psyched to introduce Brian Howard as the new editor in chief of City Paper.

Brian started at City Paper in 1995 as an intern, and now he's ready to take over the helm. He's served as a City Paper music editor, Web editor and senior editor. He's got the credentials.

It's an exciting time for Philly. The city is poised for change. Barriers are coming down. Smart people are being heard. And the fourth estate has a seat at the table, to keep a close watch and to keep our city on track.

This may sound overly optimistic, but there hasn't been cause for this much optimism in some time. Our new mayor has asked his citizens for their help, for their ideas and for their service. The old adage that "politics doesn't attract the best and the brightest" is being challenged.

City Paper wants to be a conduit for great ideas; to be the newspaper that connects the city with the best ideas of its people. We'll still be keeping policy-makers accountable. We'll still be going after fraud and corruption. We'll still uncover waste and inefficiency.

And now we're determined to be the newspaper of record for the most engaged people in the region. In politics, the arts, science, education. They'll all come together here. We reach a lot of politically and culturally active readers. People who can get things done.

So Brian, as your metaphorical third-base coach, I'm giving you the "swing away" sign. You've got plenty of big hits left in you.

(paul.curci@citypaper.net)