Ellen Belcher
EDITORIAL WRITING
Dayton Daily News

"Lively begets lively" on the Dayton Daily News' editorial pages.

Every square inch is filled with diverse views, staff and guest columns, letters and cartoons. The effect is more interest and verve than on the typical dozing U.S. editorial page.

With such variety, plus an emphasis on presenting well, does Editorial Page Editor Ellen Belcher sometimes feel like a circus ringmaster with a whip?

"A circus ringmaster is an apt description, but, I hope, without the whip," Belcher replied.

"We're especially proud of the variety of voices we have on our pages, but, of course, that doesn't happen because of one person. The entire staff is involved in making the pages provocative.

"Maybe more important, lively begets lively. When readers see thoughtful and intriguing pieces on our pages, that encourages them to join in."

At home away from the Macintosh keyboard, what does one of the top editorial page editors like to read?

"Even away from work, I'm usually reading 'for work,' " Belcher said. "Magazines, newspapers, the mail I didn't get to during the day. But for fun, I love 'story tellers.' I just finished Mary Karr's 'The Liars Club.' "

She graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in journalism and joined the Dayton Journal Herald as an editorial writer in 1979.

When the Dayton papers merged, Belcher moved to the Daily News editorial page. She was appointed associate editorial page editor in 1996; spent a year as a Kettering Foundation program officer in 1999; and was named editorial page editor of the Daily News in January 2000.

Her husband, Dennis Langer, is a Montgomery County common pleas judge and they have two children.