Times West Virginian publisher to retire after 46-year career

Apr. 11—FAIRMONT — Every career has touchpoints and that is certainly the case for Titus Workman who has worked in the newspaper industry for 46 years.

Workman, publisher of the Times West Virginian, will retire on April 30. Workman said he will carry with him memories of such world-changing events as the Iran hostage situation, the shooting of President Ronald Reagan and 9/11.

"I've enjoyed working for CNHI as well as all of the other newspaper owners I've worked with," Workman said. "I've also enjoyed working with the staff of the Times West Virginian. This staff has been a delight to work with."

Workman joined the Times West Virginian in November 2018, one of 11 newspapers at which he has worked in four states — West Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan and Louisiana. He began his career as circulation district manager at his hometown paper, The Logan Banner, in 1975.

Prior to joining the Times West Virginian, he served as advertising director of the American Press in Lake Charles, Louisiana and before that, he served as publisher of The Daily Herald in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina for eight years.

He said his career has led him to new friendships at each step along the way, which is due in part, to his community involvement.

"Every community I've lived and worked in, I've made it a point to get involved," Workman said. "In my career, I've been a member of the Lions Club, Main Street and Rotary and other organizations because community engagement goes hand in hand with being a publisher."

One of his first tasks when he came on board at the Times West Virginian was to refresh the design of the paper to ensure the news appears upfront in the paper for readers. He also conducted a study of the paper's coverage and opinion page columnists to ensure both sides of issues are being presented.

"One of the things I've tried really hard to do in my career is to make sure the paper is being balanced in its presentation of both sides — not going too far left or too far right, so we can try and maintain some sense of balance," Workman said.

Workman said his career is filled with memories of news events that often become personal at times for journalists because they are right on the edge by either witnessing them or writing about them.

"I remember a lot of different things, but COVID has been different because it had a global impact," he said. "This staff has responded very, very well in the past year to make this newspaper financially sound. We've all had to make sacrifices, while ironically, making the paper better in the midst of a crisis is not an easy thing to do, but they have certainly done it."

Workman, who often referred to the act of publishing a newspaper as "The Daily Miracle," also brought a set of new ideas to the Times West Virginian, including the introduction of the paper's annual Profile magazine and Mountain State Living. He also forged partnerships between the paper and The Marion County Chamber of Commerce and the United Way of Marion and Taylor Counties.

Workman also led the revamping of the Marion Times Shopper and developed a Total Access advertising rate package that offered attractive pricing for local businesses, he said.

CNHI is in the process of searching for a publisher who will replace Workman.

Workman, who has a bachelor's degree from Marshall University, plans to travel with his wife, Brenda, and work on various improvement projects on their home in Morgantown after retirement.

Reach Eric Cravey at 304-367-2523.