Edward Achorn, the man behind the editorial pages

There are few sections of the paper as divisive, and diverse, as the Commentary section. Every day, Vice President and Editorial Pages Editor Edward Achorn brings together as many voices as possible while shining a spotlight into the dark corners of government.

And if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, he also has a new book coming out. Learn more about him in this interview, edited for length and clarity.

How long have you been at The Providence Journal, and how did you get here?

I’ve been here since 1999, and before that I was the executive editor of the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune.

How did you get into journalism?

I actually started off as a freelance writer. I was covering meetings and I loved it, so I kept on with it.

Wait, you liked covering meetings?

(Laughs) I liked turning interesting information into front-page stories that had an impact on people, and I found I could do that. One time, there was something about a school committee that refused to let the kids have knives at lunch. That turned into a story that was then the lead story on The Associated Press wire the next day, so that was fun.

What was your role when you first came to The Journal, and what are some of the things you’re proud of?

When I started, I was the deputy editorial-page editor. We had a staff of about 11 people at the time.

I was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Commentary for my writing on Rhode Island politics, and an American Society of News Editors (ASNE) national finalist. I’ve focused very heavily on political corruption, defending the taxpayers, holding politicians accountable and questioning dubious actions.

There’s a lot of talk today about bias in the news and the value of opinion content in newspapers. Why is your role, and this section, so important?

My role is important because people, they see news fly by them. And I say, “Wait a minute. This story is important. Let’s discuss it.”

I think for that reason, the editorials in The Providence Journal, particularly in matters of the state government, are important because they make people stop and look at what’s happening. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the news. Sometimes you need someone to make sense of it.

I covered Washington. I covered the Massachusetts State House. I covered local governments. I think that experience helps me explain better to readers what is important.

I think it’s very important for The Journal, as an institution, to stand up and fight for the people of Rhode Island. Commentary is a very important part of that.

I like to use these pages to present as wide a range of opinions as I can. I resist the notion that one side is right and one side is wrong. I think both sides could learn from the other.

I am a fierce proponent of the First Amendment. I want to see uncomfortable topics discussed on these pages, because that’s how we learn.

Do you have a favorite topic to tackle in your pages?

My favorite topic is when I have a sense of when the taxpayers are being ripped off and I speak up. And I think that people are grateful for that. There’s just not a lot of people standing up for them.

What do you want people to know about the work being done at The Providence Journal?

That we’re the difference between Rhode Island having a future and it being stripped clean and bleach-blown in the desert. I think a robust newspaper saves the taxpayers a lot of money.

I just want them to know we’re here, we’re fighting for them, we care. We’re trying. We love trying to help and trying to make this a better society. And we believe very strongly in defending the First Amendment.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

I have a new book, called “Every Drop of Blood: The Momentous Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln” coming out next week. It’s a look at 24 hours in his life around the second inauguration, the people who were there and all the people he interacted with.

— edion@gatehousemedia.com @GNEErynDion