Gene Foreman

Gene Foreman joined the Penn State faculty in 1998 after retiring from The Philadelphia Inquirer, where he managed newsroom operations for more than 25 years under various titles—managing editor, executive editor and deputy editor. He also was a vice president of the company.

At Penn State, he was the Larry and Ellen Foster Professor from 1999 until his retirement from full-time teaching in December 2006. He taught courses in news editing, news media ethics and newspaper management. In 2003, Foreman received two awards for excellence in teaching in the College of Communications—the Deans' Award and the Alumni Society Award.

As a visiting professor, he continues to direct the Foster Conference of Distinguished Writers, in which acclaimed journalists are brought to campus to discuss their experiences and techniques. He also is a guest lecturer in courses at Penn State and conducts seminars to help professionals improve their skills.

Foreman spent 41 years in newspaper journalism—not counting eight summer jobs in high school and college, or his carrier route before that. He was the managing editor of three different newspapers: the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Commercial, the Arkansas Democrat in Little Rock and The Inquirer. Also during his career he worked as a reporter and assigning editor at the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock, as a copy editor at The New York Times and as the senior editor in charge of news and copy desks at Newsday on Long Island.

journalism ethics, media management