Potter Leader Enterprise Editor Donald Gilliland Going South

Donald Gilliland Going South

By James Jones
Editor-Publisher
Solomon's words

The man who has spent the last 15 years as a reporter and editor of the Potter Leader Enterprise is leaving this week for a position in the state capitol.

Donald Gilliland, told his readers, in a low profile announcement in his editorial section last week, that he has agreed to take a job as an investigative reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

Don wrote, “I notified my publisher and staff last week that I will be leaving the Leader-Enterprise at the end of this month to take a job as a reporter at the Harrisburg Patriot-News.”

“The last 15 years have been interesting ones, to say the least... and generally good ones to be a reporter and editor in Potter County.”

“Looking back, there are a few things I’d do differently, but overall, I am proud of the work the Leader-Enterprise has done.”

“This newspaper has a long history of speaking truth to its readers, regardless of who may be offended, and I have attempted to be true to that tradition. I am grateful that the newspaper office was not dynamited or set on fire and that I was not beaten on the courthouse steps – as happened to editors who preceded me!”

Don continued and thanked his readers. He said, “An important – and often unacknowledged – component of the Leader-Enterprise becoming one of the top weekly newspapers in Pennsylvania is you, the people who read it. Not only do you appreciate real news, you are willing to help produce it – through phone calls, e-mails, candid interviews and spirited letters to the editor. You have made the difference.”

“I will leave this newspaper with fond memories.”

Donald has become an icon in the newspaper business in North Central Pennsylvania, he and his staff producing award winning editions of the Potter Leader Enterprise, regarded in most newspaper circles as the best weekly newspaper north of Interstate 80.

His intensely comprehensive coverage of news ranging from the Rigas Trials, to the August Kreis skinhead settlement, to wading through the brush in the upper Allegheny River to get a photo of a kayaker paddling the length of river to Pittsburgh, and such story subjects as trivial as leeks in Potter County, republished in a Pittsburgh paper, have earned him a reputation for being able to cover diverse subjects with ease.

His writing style captivates your attention even though a story may be lengthy and complex.

In addition to leading the newspaper, Don has taught journalism at St. Bonaventure University and has spoken to public relations students at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

He relates, “I learn as much from the students as I've been able to teach them.” Students report he’s a good teacher and they enjoy his instruction.

Don was there to break in new politicians to make sure they followed the sunshine laws, and he, along with veteran WFRM radio news woman, Gerri Miller now of Black Forest Broadcasting, was instrumental in starting a campaign, by news people throughout the commonwealth, to get the Pennsylvania State Police to comply with the law regarding the release of information.

He was one of several, pushing for the new open records legislation in Harrisburg early on, and was a founding member of the PA Freedom of Information Coalition. He served on the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Government Affairs Committee, which lobbied heavily for the change, and helped draft and critique versions of bills leading up to the final open records law passage.

Don said, “ I really enjoy writing, and with the many duties of a Managing Editor, it’s hard to get the time to write.”

“At the Patriot-News, I will be doing investigative reporting. I’ll have assignments until I get my feet wet and learn the ropes of the new area, but then I will be on my own to ferret out the stories and get to the bottom of them.”

Don said, “I’ll be gone at the end of the month, but will be back and forth for a while as I get moved to the capitol. The owners of the Potter Leader Enterprise have advertised the editor’s job in trade journals. I’m hoping they pick someone with roots to the Potter County area that will want to make this their home.”

And while Don looks forward to being able to do the type of reporting that the new job entails, he ended his announcement with this, “Even though I may be living and working in the state capitol, I will always consider Potter County my home.”