Wichita Eagle editor Steve Coffman to move to Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Steve Coffman, editor of The Wichita Eagle and Kansas.com since August 2016, will leave the paper next month to assume the editor role at the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas.
The Eagle and the Star-Telegram are both owned by McClatchy.
During Coffman’s time at The Eagle, he has ratcheted up the news organization’s online response to breaking news and has led a push for growing the audience for video content on Kansas.com.
He has fought for public records and transparency in government through The Eagle’s stories and with editorials, columns and legal action, when necessary.
Most recently, he led efforts that gained the release of records from the state Department for Children and Families regarding the case of Evan Brewer, a 3-year-old boy who was found dead in his mother’s home despite repeated attempts by the boy’s father to get the state to intervene to protect his son.
Coffman recently won first place in the Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence for column writing, competing against the largest papers in the state.
Coffman said the decision to move to Fort Worth is bittersweet. His son Luke is a senior at Maize High School, and his wife, Jean, is a teacher in the Wichita public school system. His son Ben is a senior at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
“My family has loved our time in Wichita,” Coffman said. “So much has happened in the 22 months we have been here to show this is a city on the rise. We’ve felt blessed to be a part of it, and we’ll be watching and applauding from Fort Worth as the successes continue.”
Coffman said the news staff at The Eagle is strong and will continue its important mission in the community.
"I’m thankful to have worked with such a dedicated group of professionals at The Eagle, and Wichita can be confident that it has the best news staff in the state working for the region,” he said.
Dale Seiwert, The Eagle’s longtime chief financial officer who was named general manager in January, said Michael Roehrman, The Eagle’s audience editor, will assume the role of interim editor while the search for Coffman’s replacement begins.
“Steve has been a great partner for me with my transition to the general manager role, and I will miss him,” Seiwert said. “Fort Worth is very lucky to have him, and we will be in good hands with Michael Roehrman as interim editor.”
This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Wichita Eagle editor Steve Coffman to move to Fort Worth Star-Telegram."