FILE – Related Press Sports activities Editor Darrell Christian speaks at a writing seminar for AP Nashville employees in September 1980 in Nashville, Tenn. Christian, a former AP managing editor and sports activities editor identified for his demanding demeanor and insistence on excellence throughout greater than 4 a long time on the information company, died Monday, July 1, 2024. He was 75. (AP Photograph/Company Archives, File)
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 a long time with the information company, died Monday. He was 75.
Christian died of Parkinson's illness at Elegant Senior Dwelling in Encino, Calif., in line with his spouse, Lissa Morrow Christian. He was identified with Parkinson's illness round 2015, his spouse mentioned.
“Darrell was the most effective story editor I've ever seen, with an unerring intuition for management and duplicate form and nil tolerance for something however the most effective,” mentioned 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.”
Recognized 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, teachers and highschool security requirements. This protection earned him a promotion to managing editor beneath William E. Ahearn, then govt editor.
“Sports activities is simply an extension of arduous information with just a little 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 12 months.
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 choose approaches to sport tales in any respect main sporting occasions—one thing he delivered to the newspaper's function tales as managing editor.
“When Jackie Robinson got here alongside, sports activities began to develop a social consciousness,” Christian mentioned on the Nationwide Press Membership. “It actually exploded within the 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 all of the sudden created an entire technology of prompt millionaires. And what occurred between the traces was now not sufficient. This created a public need for every little thing you would probably need to learn about these athletes.”
Christian, who was referred to as “DLC” on the AP, was identified for his scathing and terse critiques despatched to reporters, which had been left in mailboxes in blue envelopes within the pre-digital period. There was a worry of “blue notes” amongst workers.
Christian mentioned the principle story he coated as sports activities editor was Ben Johnson, who examined optimistic 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 mentioned.
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 inventive tales delivered rapidly to readers,” mentioned Kathleen Carroll, AP govt editor from 2002 to 2016. These values infused each choice he made to guide state, nationwide and sports activities protection: Make it fascinating, write cleanly, and get it out the door. His rugged beauty and humorousness barely masked his deep dedication to quick, correct and fascinating 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 providers and web sites.
“Darrell mixed previous modifying expertise with a need to remain on the leading edge and innovate to assist hold AP aggressive on the very starting of Web information,” mentioned Michael Giarrusso, AP newsgathering-global beats consultant, who labored beneath Christian. “He was modifying a lead position in a narrative in addition to assembly with tech startups that wished entry to AP information or pictures.”
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 technology of journalists,” mentioned Brian Orefice, knowledge division supervisor and now vice chairman 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 beloved, modifying and illustrating,” mentioned AP golf author Doug Ferguson. “His emphasis was on particulars doing the work of adjectives. And he had this wonderful potential to know what the story was and the way to get there. He made us higher.”
Dwelling at house in Encino, Christian nonetheless hit the fitness center and performed golf and softball earlier than getting into Encino Medical Heart on Could 24. Just a few weeks later, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, and in June he moved to a senior dwelling facility. 25.
Christian's first marriage resulted in 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.
