The role of the alternative press
San Francisco Bay Guardian editor discusses industry
Angelica Carapia
Issue date: 5/11/06 Last update: 5/11/06 at 6:23 PM PST
Section: Features
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Tim Redmond, the executive editor at the San Francisco Bay Guardian, admits it-he has a political agenda.
"I wish to define myself as a political journalist," Redmond said, "by which I mean: I'm a journalist who's political.
"That's not a bad thing," he added, "because it means that you care about something and that you believe in something."
Redmond's journalism career began in Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he became interested in the campus paper and decided to join. In his third year at The Wesleyan Argus, "the commies took control." "There were a bunch of us that saw the paper as not just a way to record the day's events," he said, "but also as a way to vent."
In 1978, the Argus stirred controversy and inspired campus-wide demonstrations when it published editorials revealing the massive amounts of stock the university had invested in South African domestic business.
Three days after the editorials were printed, there was a campus rally of students denouncing the administration. About three weeks after the rally, the hastily formed South African Action Group staged a sit-in in the university president's office.
Redmond remembers walking around campus during the demonstrations saying, 'Jesus, we got a great response.'
"We just did the story," he said, "we gave people the information they needed, we pushed the buttons and encouraged people to protest and get active, but we didn't tell them to break into the president's office to sit-in.
"But we're glad they did," he added. "It made great copy."
By his senior year at the university, Redmond realized where his future was leading. "I saw that, if you set your mind to it, if you put the effort into it, if you do top-quality reporting and if you're not afraid to take a stand, then it all works out for you."
When he moved to the Bay Area in the early 80's, he "quickly fell into the Bay Guardian."
"I realized that here in S.F., there are journalists with the same basic idea about journalism that I had," he said, "which is that you can make a huge impact on the community if you're not afraid to take a stand and you're willing to put the effort into it." Redmond believes that this is exactly where the Bay Guardian's commitment stands.
"I wish to define myself as a political journalist," Redmond said, "by which I mean: I'm a journalist who's political.
"That's not a bad thing," he added, "because it means that you care about something and that you believe in something."
Redmond's journalism career began in Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he became interested in the campus paper and decided to join. In his third year at The Wesleyan Argus, "the commies took control." "There were a bunch of us that saw the paper as not just a way to record the day's events," he said, "but also as a way to vent."
In 1978, the Argus stirred controversy and inspired campus-wide demonstrations when it published editorials revealing the massive amounts of stock the university had invested in South African domestic business.
Three days after the editorials were printed, there was a campus rally of students denouncing the administration. About three weeks after the rally, the hastily formed South African Action Group staged a sit-in in the university president's office.
Redmond remembers walking around campus during the demonstrations saying, 'Jesus, we got a great response.'
"We just did the story," he said, "we gave people the information they needed, we pushed the buttons and encouraged people to protest and get active, but we didn't tell them to break into the president's office to sit-in.
"But we're glad they did," he added. "It made great copy."
By his senior year at the university, Redmond realized where his future was leading. "I saw that, if you set your mind to it, if you put the effort into it, if you do top-quality reporting and if you're not afraid to take a stand, then it all works out for you."
When he moved to the Bay Area in the early 80's, he "quickly fell into the Bay Guardian."
"I realized that here in S.F., there are journalists with the same basic idea about journalism that I had," he said, "which is that you can make a huge impact on the community if you're not afraid to take a stand and you're willing to put the effort into it." Redmond believes that this is exactly where the Bay Guardian's commitment stands.
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