Friendliness sways new editor | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

The Wanganui Chronicle has a new editor.

Ross Pringle took up his post yesterday, replacing Kim Gillespie, who returned to Rotorua at the end of last year after a year at the helm of the Chronicle.

Mr Pringle, 39, has come to Wanganui from APN's Tauranga-based newspaper, the Bay of Plenty Times, where he spent the past 10 years, firstly as deputy chief subeditor and, more recently, chief sub and news editor.

Born and raised near Oamaru, North Otago, Mr Pringle was educated at Waitaki Boys' High School and at Otago University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995.

After a stint working at various jobs in the agricultural industry, he joined  the Oamaru Mail as a proof reader, doing news reporting on the side.

He said he had always been intrigued by news - "how it happens ... how it's reported", so entering the news industry was almost inevitable.

Unlike  young journalists entering the profession today, Mr Pringle didn't undergo formal training but learned on the job. And taking that route meant he gained experience in the key elements that go into making a newspaper - the stories and advertisements and the design and layout.

He  spent five years at the Oamaru Mail before heading for Tauranga.

Mr Pringle said he opted to pursue his career in Wanganui because a visit to the city had left him with the strong impression of a place with "a nice feel to it ... friendly and welcoming ... a good place to bring up a family".

He said he had come to the Chronicle with no intention of reinventing the wheel.

"The paper is not broken. It has served its community very well for a long time. It has a good bunch of experienced  journalists, so all it might need is a bit of fine-tuning in the way we present the news."

Mr Pringle is married to Bobbie-Jo and they have three children, aged  6, 4 and  2.