Richard A. Oppel (born Jan. 30, 1943 in Newark, N.J.) is an American newspaper, magazine and digital editor living in
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
. He was interim editor-in-chief (May 5, 2018 – Feb. 1, 2019) of ''
Texas Monthly
''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'',
an Austin-based publication with a statewide readership of 2.4 million. The magazine covers the Texas scene, from politics, the environment, industry and education to music, the arts, travel, restaurants, museums and cultural events. While Oppel was editor of ''
The Charlotte Observer
''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...
'' (1978–1993), the newspaper earned three
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
s, sharing one for editorial cartoons with ''
The Atlanta Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
''.
Early life and education
Oppel is the son of the late Alfred W. and Jane G. Oppel. He graduated from
Northeast High School in
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
, in 1960 and joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, serving six months on active duty. He graduated from the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
with a B.A. degree in political science in 1964.
Journalism career
In 1963, Oppel began his news career as a reporter covering police and rural news at ''
The Tampa Tribune
''The Tampa Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Tampa, Florida. Along with the competing ''Tampa Bay Times'', the ''Tampa Tribune'' was one of two major newspapers published in the Tampa Bay area.
The newspaper also published a ''St. Pe ...
''. He joined
The Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
in 1965 in the state capital bureau in
Tallahassee
Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...
. In 1967, he was named Tampa correspondent, and in 1969 night news editor in Miami. The same year, he was named correspondent in charge of the Tallahassee bureau. He became state news editor in Miami in 1972, and in 1973 was promoted to Michigan chief of bureau in Detroit.
Oppel left AP in 1976 to join
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, it was the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspaper bran ...
. His first job was as associate editor of the ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
''.
In 1977 he became executive editor of the ''
Tallahassee Democrat
The ''Tallahassee Democrat'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper. It covers the area centered on Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida, as well as adjacent Gadsden County, Jefferson County, and Wakulla County. The newspaper is owned by Gannett Co., ...
'', where he led the staff in conversion of the newspaper from afternoon to morning publication. In 1978, Oppel was named editor and vice president of ''
The Charlotte Observer
''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...
'',
the largest newspaper in
the Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
. He served in that position until 1993, when he took over the Knight-Ridder Washington bureau as chief of bureau.
Oppel left
Knight-Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, it was the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspaper brand ...
to become editor and vice president of the ''
Austin American-Statesman
The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett.
The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...
'' in 1995, retiring from that position in 2008.
Post-newspapers career
In 2009 Oppel began work as senior vice president/media for Public Strategies Inc. (PSI) of Austin, serving as a strategy adviser to national firms in finance, law, computers, airlines, energy and telecommunications. In 2010, PSI merged with Hill & Knowlton to become
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Hill+Knowlton Strategies is an American global public relations consulting company, headquartered in New York City, United States, with over 80 offices in more than 40 countries. The company was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1927 by John W. Hill ...
. Both firms were owned by the
WPP Group
WPP plc is a British multinational communications, advertising, public relations, technology, and commerce holding company headquartered in London, England. It was the world's largest advertising company, as of 2019. WPP plc owns many compan ...
.
He left H&K in 2012 to serve as a visiting professor of journalism at
Huston–Tillotson University
Huston–Tillotson University (HT) is a private historically black university in Austin, Texas. Established in 1875, Huston–Tillotson University was the first institution of higher learning in Austin. The university is affiliated with the Unit ...
, a historically black institution of 1,000 students in Austin. In 2014 he was named interim vice president for institutional advancement, and helped raise money and lead construction of the Sandra Joy Anderson Community Health and Wellness Center to provide medical care to students and low-income residents in neighborhoods surrounding the university. He left HT in early 2016.
Oppel worked as senior vice president of Crosswind Media & Public Relations of Austin in 2016–2017, representing diverse clients in energy, infrastructure and healthcare, including trade associations before the
Texas Legislature
The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...
.
On Feb. 1, 2018, Oppel was hired by owner Paul Hobby to serve as ombudsman of ''
Texas Monthly
''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...
'' after Tim Taliaferro, then the editor-in-chief, drew media criticism for allegedly entering into an arrangement with the dating app
Bumble
Bumble is an online dating application. Profiles of potential matches are displayed to users, who can "swipe left" to reject a candidate or "swipe right" to indicate interest. In heterosexual matches, only female users can make the first contac ...
. According to ''
Columbia Journalism Review
The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, ana ...
'', Bumble founder
Whitney Wolfe Herd
Whitney Wolfe Herd (born July 5, 1989) is an American entrepreneur.
She is the founder and CEO of publicly traded Bumble, Inc, an online dating platform, launched in 2014. She was previously the vice president of marketing and Co-Founder of Tin ...
would appear on the cover in exchange for a $25,000–30,000 social-media push by the dating company. Taliaferro denied there was any arrangement, saying the cover decision had been made before the social-media push was discussed. Taliaferro was hired after Hobby’s private equity firm, Genesis Park Partners, bought the magazine in October 2016.
After Oppel served briefly as ombudsman, Hobby announced that Oppel would become interim editor-in-chief of the ''Monthly'' on May 5, 2018.
In March 2020, Oppel was named editorial advisor of a digital news start-up, Austonia.com, founded by CEO and publisher Mark Dewey. The news site covers news, features and entertainment in Austin.
Awards and achievements
Oppel has served as vice president of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, president of the North Carolina Press Association,
and chair of the North Carolina First Amendment Association. He served as a member and then chair of the Journalism Advisory Committee of the
Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, also known as the Knight Foundation, is an American non-profit foundation that provides grants for journalism, communities, and the arts.
The organization was founded as the Knight Memorial Education ...
, a $2 billion foundation that distributed grants to journalism organizations and supported the transformation of the industry toward digital news with high standards. In 2000–2001, he was president of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors
The American Society of News Editors (ASNE) was a membership organization for editors, producers or directors in charge of journalistic organizations or departments, deans or faculty at university journalism schools, and leaders and faculty of ...
, the largest organization of newspaper editors.
At that time, the membership was 600. From 2000 until 2009, he was a member of the
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
Board and, in 2008–2009, was co-chair of the board.
While editor of ''
The Charlotte Observer
''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...
'', Oppel led that newspaper to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Meritorious Public Service – the gold medals – considered the highest prize in journalism. The first, awarded in 1981, was for “Brown Lung: A Case of Deadly Neglect,” an investigation of how cotton dust in textile mills caused the disease of
byssinosis
Byssinosis is an occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of cotton or jute dust in inadequately ventilated working environments and can develop over time with repeated exposure. Byssinosis commonly occurs in textile workers who are employe ...
among workers.
In 1988, ''The Observer'' won its second Meritorious Public Service medal for revealing misuse of funds by the
PTL television ministry operated by
Jim
Jim or JIM may refer to:
* Jim (given name), a given name
* Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James
* Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy
* OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism
* ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring
* ''Jim ...
and
Tammy Faye Bakker
Tamara Faye Messner (née LaValley, formerly Bakker ; March 7, 1942 – July 20, 2007) was an American evangelist, singer, author, talk show host, and television personality. She gained notice for her work with ''The PTL Club'', a televangelist ...
.
Longtime ''Observer'' editorial cartoonist
Doug Marlette
Douglas Nigel Marlette (December 6, 1949 – July 10, 2007) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American editorial cartoonist who, at the time of his death, had also published two novels and was "finding his voice in writing long-length fiction." also won a Pulitzer in 1988, for work he did at ''The Observer'' and ''
The Atlanta Constitution
''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
''.
Three of the five Pulitzers in ''The Observer''s history were won under Oppel’s tenure. When ''The Observer'' and the afternoon ''Charlotte News'' merged news staffs in 1983, Oppel became editor of both newspapers until the ''News''s demise in 1985.
Oppel was given the Distinguished Alumni Award by the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
in 1979, and received the 1987 Ben Bradlee Editor of the Year Award from the National Press Association.
Family
Oppel is married to Carol Van Aken Oppel, a licensed lay preacher in the
Episcopal Diocese of Texas
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas is one of the dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The diocese consists of all Episcopal congregations in the southeastern quartile of Texas, including the cities of Austin, Beaumont, ...
. Previously, she was a freelance writer for religious publications.
Their son,
Richard A. Oppel Jr., is a national correspondent for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Their daughter, Shelby Oppel Wood, is a former columnist for ''
The Oregonian
''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...
'' in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
and now works as a freelance contributor to advertising and public relations agencies.
She and her husband Nate Wood, a scientist with the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
,
are the parents of two daughters, Elektra and Roxanne.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oppel, Richard
1943 births
Living people
University of South Florida alumni
American male journalists
American newspaper editors
Detroit Free Press people
The Charlotte Observer people
Austin American-Statesman people
20th-century American journalists