Fox
ELIZABETHTOWN — The Bladen Journal saw a significant staff change in the last week with a new executive editor joining the team of the community paper.
Sara Fox, who has had connections to Bladen County for the last five years, will replace W. Curt Vincent, who recently retired.
“I began attending UNC Pembroke in August of 2017, so I’ve been close to Bladen County for years,” Fox said. “It wasn’t until 2020 when I met Desmond, my significant other who is a Bladen County native, that I began to explore and fall in love with the area.”
Fox began working with the Bladen Journal news team earlier this week. She spent some time with Interim Executive Editor David Kennard, who runs the newsroom at the Journal’s sister paper, The Robesonian.
“Sara’s going to be a wonderful addition to the Bladen Journal,” Kennard said. “I’ve enjoyed filling in until we could find the right fit.”
“From the moment I had my first coffee from Barefoot Brew and my first croissant from Burney’s, I was excited to continue to find out what Bladen County had to offer,” Fox said.
She said journalism appealed to her for several reasons.
“Writing has always been a strength of mine, so when I decided to switch my major from music education — communications, journalism and public relations caught my attention,” she said. “I’ve always been a very outgoing person with the ability to talk to anyone about anything, so journalism seemed like a natural fit. I’m so excited to continue getting to know the community and to get to tell the stories of the Mother County.
The Bladen Journal has been publishing a community paper for 189 years, employing many journalists and advertising staff over the years. During that time the role of the news organization has changed little.
“My vision for the paper is to connect with and reflect the community,” Fox said. “I would love for the residents of this county to continue to feel like this is their paper. I want them to feel like we at The Bladen Journal are their friends who just so happen to have all of the best stories about what’s going on in our area.”
Fox said her goal is for residents “to know us when they see us out and about reporting at events and to feel comfortable coming to us with things that are happening in Bladen County.