A Román Holiday at the top of NEPM’s newsroom. (courtesy NEPM/Don Treeger)

Against the backdrop of its own challenges and a broader wave of upheaval in Valley media, New England Public Media has named Elizabeth Román as its next executive editor for news. Román will take over the news operations of the region’s principal public media at a time of flux. Public television and radio face budget shortfalls—NEPM being no exception—and attacks from the new administration.

Transition in NEPM’s top news role is not a surprise. The current top editor, Sam Hudzik, is leaving NEPM after nearly 12 years with the broadcaster and its radio predecessor to pursue a career in law. Román joined NEPM in 2022 after a long career with The Republican and its affiliated publications. She received a promotion to managing editor last year.

“Being a part of the NEPM newsroom has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” Román said in a statement the public media outlet released. “I’m thankful to all of the editors, fellow reporters and newsroom leaders throughout my career, especially Sam, who have helped me get to this point.”

Román also emphasized the new operation’s mission to deliver impactful and informative journalism. She will report to NEPM’s vice president for content and audience strategy.

NEPM is the fruit of an alliance between WGBY and WFCR. The WGBH Foundation, which oversees the Boston-area public media behemoth of the same name, formally owns WGBY’s television license. UMass-Amherst owns WFCR’s radio license. A combined board with representatives from both WGBH and UMass-Amherst governs NEPM.

In announcing Román’s promotion, NEPM can revel in a bit of good news. Public media, and public radio in particular, has suffered a shock from declining revenue due to changing listener habits following the pandemic.

NEPM has not been without its own tumult. There has been labor angst—the holdover WFCR employees fall under a UMass-Amherst contract; new employees do not. Since 2023, it has gone through two rounds of layoffs. NEPM has cancelled shows including WGBY’s long-running television program Connecting Point. However, it has invested in audio.

Reporting some not bad news! (via nepm.org)

The combined entity experienced years of deficits, leading to 17 jobs cuts in 2023—representing 20% of staff—and 7 layoffs last month. NEPM did not say, when queried, whether it intended to backfill the newsroom after Hudzik’s departure.

WMP&I Editor-in-chief Matt Szafranski has appeared on both programming aired on NEPM and its predecessors.

Román’s ascension is only one of several recent transitions in local media. The Reminder recently installed Chris Maza as executive editor after Payton North left to lead Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni’s communications shop. Earlier this year, Rich Tettemer, an anchor at WWLP, announced his retirement.

This follows several years of local media changes. North herself had succeeded longtime Reminder editor G. Michael Dobbs upon retiring in 2022. In 2023, Larry Parnass took over as executive editor of The Republican following Cynthia Simison’s retirement. Paul Tuthill, the Valley correspondent for Albany-based WAMC News hung up his headphones in 2023. The station hired James Paleologopoulos as a replacement.

Román is a longtime presence in local media. In addition to The Republican, she wrote for its Spanish-language publication, El Pueblo Latino. Maza, in his column announcing his role, noted that he took classes with Román. Under the tutelage of prominent—and also retired—columnist Tommy Shea, the two revived HCC’s student paper, Maza wrote.

A Springfield resident, Román will be one of the few women of color to lead a newsroom in the region and perhaps across New England.

Matt Abramovitz, NEPM’s president, emphasized Román’s leadership, news judgment and roots in the community as key to choosing her.

“When trustworthy and balanced information about our community is more vital than ever and can’t be taken for granted, we are so lucky to have Elizabeth take the reins from Sam,” Abramovitz said in NEPM’s release. “We could not have a better person leading us forward at this time.”

Hudzik, who joined New England Public Radio in 2013, also welcomed Román ascent into his role.

“I could not be more thrilled she was picked to lead this amazing group of reporters and hosts,” he said of his successor in the NEPM release. “As her friend, I’m proud. As an NEPM listener, I’m excited.”