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Boise Weekly Names New Editor

After a year leading the Boise Weekly‘s editorial team, Shea
Andersen is headed out.

“I knew it was time to go when the office coffee maker died,”
Andersen said.

Andersen started with the Boise Weekly in 2006 as news
editor, and became editor of the paper one year ago. He is
leaving to work at a newspaper that does not feature a
cartoon devoted to making fun of idle chatter overheard in the
offices of Boise.

“Although we are sad that Shea is leaving Boise Weekly, we
support his pursuit to continue his journalistic dreams and
career goals,” said Boise Weekly publisher Sally Freeman.

The good news is that Rachael Daigle, a stalwart staff writer
and editor at the Boise Weekly for more than five years, will
take the helm of Idaho’s only alternative newsweekly.

“Rachael knows what we are about and understands what
needs to be done to move Boise Weekly forward,” Freeman
said. “I am very excited about our future with her leading our
editorial team.”

The Boise Weekly is now in its 16th year and recently won
several top awards in the Idaho Press Club’s annual
journalism competition.

“In the last year, Shea took BW to a whole new level,” said
Daigle. “We’ve gained valuable ground in the community,
we’ve become one of the state’s top-quality news
organizations, and we’ve reinvented our arts coverage. I’m
thrilled to be in
a position to build on what he’s accomplished … So long as
the coffee
maker continues to work.”

Daigle and Freeman announced the hiring of Nathaniel
Hoffman as BW news editor and Tara Morgan as staff writer.

Boise Weekly Names New Editor

Shea Andersen is the new editor at Boise Weekly, Idaho’s Only Alternative.

After working as BW’s news editor for the past year, Andersen will finally occupy the editor’s office that was vacated by Nicholas Collias in October. The back office, affectionately known as “the cave,” now includes a couch.

Boise native Deanna Darr will become the BW news editor, after a career that includes stints at the Jackson Hole News and Guide, the Bend Bulletin and the Arizona Republic. Amy Atkins will continue as arts and entertainment editor, a position she assumed in October.

“We’ve got big plans for Boise Weekly,” Andersen said. “For starters, we’re sending a reporter to Cuba, we’re refurbishing the website and there’s finally some really good coffee in the break room.” Boise Weekly is also involved in a court battle to force the release of public records. In short, his tenure as editor promises to be one of the most expensive in BW’s 14-year history.

Publisher Sally Freeman (previously Sally Barnes) could not be happier with Andersen taking on the role of editor. Not having an editor for six months required Freeman to wear many hats in the interim, including helping out the editorial team.

“As publisher, I’m willing to do whatever it takes, but I am ready to get back to focusing on the business side of things,” said Freeman. “The experience of working so closely with the editorial team, although challenging, proved to be invaluable for me.”

Freeman will continue to work with Andersen and his editorial team on strategies for refining and expanding editorial content.

“We are now positioned to take Boise Weekly to another level, with Shea in place,” Freeman said.

Since starting as a lowly intern for High Country News in 1995, Andersen has worked as a journalist in Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico and Idaho. He hosted a short public-television program in New Mexico, which helped people realize he wasn’t a woman.

“If I get one more e-mail addressed to ‘Ms. or Mrs. Andersen,’ I’m going to unleash some serious virus action.” he said.

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