Howard Weaver, a boy from Muldoon, was probably the most important figure in Alaska journalism. He led the Anchorage Daily News to two Pulitzer prizes—the Gold Medal for Distinguished and Meritorious Public Service, both times. ADN recently went on to win this award for a third time. Only three other newspapers in the 100+ year history of the Pulitzer prizes have earned that honor more often, and the paper’s continuing great work is, in part, a significant reflection of his lasting impact on journalists throughout Alaska today—whether they ever knew him or have even heard of him. At today’s Forum, we heard from dozens of Howard’s colleagues and friends from Alaska and around the country—many of the best journalists Alaska has known. They shared their personal and professional memories of Howard with one another. They gave the rest of us insights into a remarkable man engaged in public service journalism as a writer, editor, leader, role model, and inspiration, as well as us a window into some of the most exciting and vital times in journalism. After leaving Alaska, Howard shared all he had to offer to editors and writers across America as Vice President for News of one of the country’s leading news organizations.
You can find more about Howard in his memoir, “Write Hard, Die Free” (Epicenter Press, 2012), or in the definitive profile of him published upon his death by author and journalist Tom Kizzia:
https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2023/12/15/howard-weaver-editor-who-led-anchorage-daily-news-through-transformative-years-dies-at-73/
You can also listen to a podcast of Howard’s June 17, 2018, presentation to the AUUF Forum entitled “Living in a Post-Truth World” here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1965762/episodes/10577494
A reformatted PDF of the Zoom Meeting chat can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zxg857o31ddr1wtrng80e/20231217_0900_RecordingChat.pdf?rlkey=zgxstk0zvzwdycl1ic4oumm1a&dl=0