2008 Unity Conference : » Retiring Editor Cited As Champion of Minority Journalists

Retiring Editor Cited As Champion of Minority Journalists

Friday, July 25, 2008

By KYLA SMITH
The UNITY News

Surrounded by recruiters, students and notepads, Sharon Rosenhause began saying goodbye to her colleagues Friday.

At the end of next week, the managing editor at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel will retire after serving more than 20 years in the newspaper business, as a mentor and a long-standing voice for journalists of color.

Rosenhause, who joined the Sun-Sentinel in March 2001, pushed to diversify newsrooms and news coverage with a stern but compassionate demeanor, friends and colleagues said.

She served as the chairwoman of the American Society of Newspaper Editors Diversity Committee, and was a member of the advisory board of the Race and Diversity Workshop at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, according to the ASNE Web site.

Rosenhause hosted a Diversity Leadership Institute, according to ASNE, and found funding for a Florida Society of Newspaper Editors multimedia scholarship for diverse college students.

In 2006, she was awarded the Robert G. McGruder Diversity Leadership Award.

Friends praised Rosenhause for her hard work and described her as a light-hearted person who loves pink flamingoes, tennis, HBO’s “The Wire” and is determined to master her newly purchased Mac computer.

Rosenhause was too busy saying goodbye to talk about her impending retirement, but friends, colleagues and protégés were eager to share their thoughts on her guidance and influence:

“She is one of the strongest forces in the newsroom. She has a great mind for judgment and knows a good story. Everyone respects her and she is a motivator. She will be missed dearly.”
Bowdeya Tweh
Intern, Sun-Sentinel

“When I first came in five years ago, Sharon seemed intimidating and scary, but deep down she is a teddy bear. When I heard the news, I teared up. I can’t imagine the newsroom without her.”
Belinda Long Ivey
Graphic Artist, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“When I had rough days working eight hours in the newsroom and eight hours on a reserve base, Sharon told me that I couldn’t work like this anymore. That showed me what type of editor she was, and that she cared about people.”
C. Ron Allen
Staff Writer, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“She was a woman of very few words but they were intense words that were well chosen. Her retirement represents a real loss in a time of massive layoffs. Not only did she inspire me in the newsroom she inspired me to get back out on the court after not playing tennis for over 30 years.”
Michele A. Salcedo
Race and Demographics Editor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

topic: Industry Issues
tags: Retirement

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