Carlson to follow in the footsteps of veteran Don White

By Jay Cason
Anderson Co. News

The new general manager of The Anderson News has been a traveling man for most of his professional life, but now that he's in Anderson County, Ben Carlson plans to grow some roots.

“I could tell this is a real traditional American place,” Carlson said, referring to the impression Lawrenceburg made during an earlier visit when he applied for the job. “It's a great place to call home, and it's a great place to bring my younger children to call home.”

Carlson, 42, took over leadership of The Anderson News May 15, after a five-year stint as editor of The Brunswick Beacon, a weekly newspaper with a circulation of about 18,000, located in Shallotte, N.C.

At The Beacon, Carlson was responsible for the news division, but at The Anderson News, he's in charge of the whole operation.

Carlson traces his interest in journalism back to his days as a high school athlete.

“I played high school sports,” he said. “That's what drew me to the career. I wanted to be a sportswriter.”

The aspiring journalist eventually achieved his career goal, but not until completing a four-year hitch with the Air Force. He used those years wisely. Not only was he able to earn three years of college credit while enlisted, he also was able to connect with his future bride, Cyndie.

“We were both in the Air Force when we met in England,” he explained, adding they've now been married for 21 years.

“I started writing for dailies in the New York market,” he said. “I covered high school stuff and graduated to the Buffalo Bills, the Sabres (NHL hockey), and minor league sports in the Rochester market.”

Carlson gradually worked his way up to a sports editor position, before being employed as editor of a weekly newspaper in Geneseo, N.Y.

“The paper is similar to The Anderson News,” Carlson said. “That was my first experience with a community newspaper.

“Sports are played at night, and as my family grew, I got tired of working every night. I always enjoyed the news, and it got me home with my family at night.

“I learned to love community newspapers. We have a much more intimate relationship with our readers.

“I love being on Main Street, with people dropping in.”

As might be expected of someone with 18 years of experience in the newspaper business, Carlson has a firm grasp of what it takes to run a quality newspaper.

He also has a strong vision for the future of The Anderson News.

“It's a great paper already,” he said. “It's loved by most in the community. It has a great and dedicated staff. I don't know what else a person could ask for in looking for a job.”

Click Here to go back