The times are changing, none more generationally than at The Seattle Times, this city’s sole surviving daily newspaper. In November, publisher and CEO Frank Blethen announced significant news. After serving four decades, Frank is stepping aside in favor of his son Ryan Blethen.
On January 1, Ryan will become the fifth generation of Blethens to head The Seattle Times, the paper founded by his great-great-grandfather Alden Blethen in 1896. The Times remains one of the few family-owned newspapers still standing in this nation’s fraught media sector.
Ryan’s succession as publisher has been heralded by many readers, a sign that The Times will continue as a stabilizing force for the city and the state. Ryan will not only lead The Seattle Times, but also the Walla Walla Union Bulletin and the Yakima Herald Republic as dependable, go-to sources of news. After stepping down, Frank will continue as board chair while the Times chief financial officer, Alan Fisco, will become CEO and work closely with Ryan…