Darrell L. Christian, the previous managing editor and sports activities editor of The Related Press, identified for his demanding demeanor and insistence on excellence throughout greater than 4 many years with the information company, died Monday. He was 75.
Christian died of Parkinson's illness at Elegant Senior Residing in Encino, Calif., in keeping with his spouse, Lissa Morrow Christian. He was recognized with Parkinson's illness round 2015, his spouse stated.
“Darrell was the perfect story editor I've ever seen, with an unerring intuition for management and replica form and nil tolerance for something however the perfect,” stated Mike Silverman, AP managing editor from 2000 to 2007 and managing editor till 2009 . “I used to be very lucky to have been his deputy for a number of years when he was editor-in-chief, and far of what I later delivered to the work I owed to him.”
Identified for his directness and rigor, Christian modernized AP sports activities protection throughout his seven years on the helm, emphasizing breaking information and in-depth reporting on such points as sports activities enterprise, lecturers and highschool security requirements. This protection earned him a promotion to managing editor below William E. Ahearn, then government editor.
“Sports activities is simply an extension of exhausting information with a bit little bit of a special taste,” Christian advised the Nationwide Press Membership in 2007.
Born on December 26, 1948, Christian was a local of Henderson, Kentucky. He started his newspaper profession as a sports activities author and sports activities editor on the Henderson Gleaner in 1964, spent two summers within the AP bureau in Charleston, West Virginia, and earned a bachelor's diploma in 1969 from the College of Kentucky. After serving within the Navy from 1969-1972, Christian joined the AP in Indianapolis in 1972. He grew to become information editor in 1975, moved to the Washington bureau in 1980, and have become deputy sports activities editor in New York the next yr.
Promoted to sports activities editor in 1985, Christian coordinated protection of the 1988 and 1992 Winter and Summer time Olympics, and oversaw the addition of chosen approaches to sport tales in any respect main sporting occasions—one thing he delivered to the newspaper's options as managing editor.
“When Jackie Robinson got here alongside, sports activities began to develop a social consciousness,” Christian stated on the Nationwide Press Membership. “It actually exploded within the Nineteen Seventies and early Nineteen Eighties with tv protection that introduced sporting occasions into the lounge and the unfold of cash in sports activities, free company, the place you abruptly created an entire era of immediate millionaires. And what occurred between the strains was now not sufficient. This created a public need for all the pieces you can probably wish to learn about these athletes.”
Christian, who was known as “DLC” on the AP, was identified for his sharp, terse criticisms despatched to reporters, left in mailboxes in blue envelopes within the pre-digital period. The “blue notes” had been feared among the many workers.
Christian stated the primary story he coated as sports activities editor was Ben Johnson, who examined constructive for a banned steroid on the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, inflicting him to work 48 straight hours. Among the many main tales he oversaw as editor-in-chief was the OJ Simpson saga, which he dealt with with confidence.
“It actually was the circus of the century and it was one wild experience to make it day by day,” Christian stated.
Christian succeeded Martin C. Thompson as editor-in-chief in 1992 and chaired the Pulitzer Prize investigative panel in 1995 and 1996.
“Darrell was a aggressive, old-school journalist who valued artistic tales delivered shortly to readers,” stated Kathleen Carroll, AP government editor from 2002 to 2016. These values infused each determination he made to steer state, nationwide and sports activities protection: Make it attention-grabbing, write cleanly, and get it out the door. His rugged beauty and humorousness barely masked his deep dedication to quick, correct and attention-grabbing tales and the individuals who wrote them.”
After six years as managing editor, Christian was succeeded by Jonathan P. Wolman as director of MegaSports, AP's multimedia sports activities service for newspaper and broadcast members and industrial on-line companies and web sites.
“Darrell mixed outdated modifying abilities with a need to remain on the leading edge and innovate to assist hold AP aggressive on the very starting of Web information,” stated Michael Giarrusso, AP newsgathering-global beats consultant, who labored below Christian. “He was simply as comfy modifying a lead position in a narrative as he was assembly with tech startups that wished entry to AP information or photographs.”
Christian grew to become enterprise editor in 2000 and in 2003 was named to the newly created place of director of sports activities knowledge, combining AP Digital's MegaSports service with AP's Sports activities Agate information service.
“Behind the old-school reporter's gruff exterior was an editor who proved to be a mentor to the subsequent era of journalists,” stated Brian Orefice, knowledge division supervisor and now vp of product at Stats Carry out, a rebranded digital firm. “His skilled credentials had been unquestionable and his recommendation invaluable.”
Christian grew to become managing editor in 2006, then created the AP's Prime Tales Desk in 2008 and ran it till his retirement in 2014, when he moved to California.
“Darrell by no means stopped doing what he liked, modifying and illustrating,” stated AP golf author Doug Ferguson. “He emphasised making particulars do the work of adjectives. And he had this superb means to know what the story was and find out how to get there. He made us higher.”
Residing at residence in Encino, Christian nonetheless hit the fitness center and performed golf and softball earlier than coming into Encino Medical Heart on Might 24. Just a few weeks later, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, and in June he moved to a senior residing facility. 25.
Christian's first marriage led to divorce. He met Lissa Morrow whereas supervising AP protection of the 1984 Tremendous Bowl in Tampa, Florida, the place she coated the radio station. Along with his spouse, he’s survived by a brother, Scott, and a niece, Erika Whitman.
Ronald Blum, The Related Press