The Board of Directors of the Greenbelt News Review voted unanimously to appoint Anna Bedford-Dillow as the new editor of the weekly paper. She has been serving as the managing editor since September 2022, taking the lead in assigning stories, mentoring writers and interns, expanding news coverage and shepherding each week’s paper into print and on line.
Retiring editor Mary Lou Williamson, who made the motion to appoint Bedford-Dillow, will stay with the paper as editor emerita, providing editorial insight and institutional memory. She praised the incoming editor, saying, “In four years, Anna has introduced much that is new to this paper. She has developed close working relationships with the varied staff who put out the paper each week. She writes much of the content and has an eye for photographs that tell a story. She is helpful to new writers. Anna has more than earned her new title as editor.”
In selecting Bedford-Dillow, the board noted her indispensable role in expanding the news covered by the paper, including county school and school board news, county firefighter staffing changes and federal issues that impact Greenbelters. She is adept at identifying sources of information, including the filing of Maryland Public Information Act requests to find out what county officials are doing.
“The News Review covers Greenbelt,” said board president Pat Scully, “but that now means covering the county and such federal stories as USDA, BARC, NASA, the FBI and ICE trials. Decisions at the federal level directly affect the people of Greenbelt and Anna has been diligent and creative in getting and writing stories that document that impact.”
Look for more details about Bedford-Dillow next week.