Gettysburg editor elected to lead
state's news media association
Molly McRoberts, editor of the Potter County News at Gettysburg, was elected the 138th president of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association during the organization’s annual meeting on April 26 in Huron.
Also elected to the 2024-25 SDNA Board of Directors were: First Vice President Jason Ferguson, editor of the Custer County Chronicle; Second Vice President Carson Walker, CEO of South Dakota News Watch; Third Vice President Luke Hagen, editor of the Mitchell Republic; Director LeeAnne Dufek, publisher of Hamlin County Publishing at Castlewood; Director Jill Meier, publisher of the Brandon Valley Journal; and Immediate Past President Kristi Hine, publisher of the True Dakotan at Wessington Springs.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the news industry. South Dakota NewsMedia Association members
McRoberts was raised on a farm at Gettysburg. Her great-grandfather, Andrew Guppy (A.G.) Williams, was the first publisher of the Potter County News, and she has his first editorial page displayed in her newspaper office. McRoberts was a member of the high school newspaper staff and studied English and theatre at the University of South Dakota.
Over the years, McRoberts worked briefly as a radio disc jockey and moved to California’s Silicon Valley where she wrote technical manuals for a software development firm. She eventually returned to Gettysburg and went to work for the newspaper.
“I got my first front page byline in 1987. Since then, I have worked with a half dozen publishers and watched the office staff and production demands change from late hours standing at light tables to a click of the keyboard while posting online publication
recognize that while the delivery and consumption of news continues to evolve, the key is that we remain focused on providing factual and accurate news reporting,” McRoberts said.
“Our association members tell the stories important to our communities. South Dakota journalists report news and information we need to be better-informed citizens. While some readers may still want to save a clipping from the pages of our traditionally printed newspapers, others share it through their computers and mobile devices.
“It is important that South Dakotans have access to fair and accurate news reporting produced by trusted journalists who care about the places they cover. No matter how the news is disseminated, SDNA will continue to be at the forefront of those changes and support our members as they provide the news and information readers depend on and trust.”
publications. I’ve had the opportunity to teach students about the role our newspaper plays in our community and to work with them on their school newspaper to tell stories from our high school.”
McRoberts continued: “I have used the SDNA as a resource throughout my work in the news industry to answer questions and offer guidance, and am incredibly honored to be part of the organization’s board and now serve as president. As we continue to grow and evolve with the changing news landscape, we understand that our industry is more important than ever, and our responsibility to keep readers informed mirrors that.”
SDNA, based in Brookings, represents the state’s newspapers and digital news outlets.