JOHN MCCRIGHT

MIDDLEBURY — As part of their spring 2023 speaker series, the Middlebury American Association of University Women (AAUW) and Ilsley Public Library are hosting a presentation by Addison Independent news editor John McCright on Tuesday evening, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., in the Ilsley’s Jessica Swift meeting room.

During his presentation McCright will talk about the changes he has seen during his three decades in journalism, and offer some information on how the Addison Independent will both adjust and grow in the future — even in this coming year. “The way that a community newspaper covers the news is changing in this digital age,” says McCright, “but the role of the community newspaper continues to be the same as it has been for the last century or two: to help glue together the people and institutions in Addison County by showing what is going on.”

McCright oversees the gathering of news for the Independent, managing a staff that includes three full-time reporters, a photographer, an online editor, a copyeditor, and many outside contributors. He works closely with the publisher, production department, advertising staff, and front-office crew to make sure the news gets to the community.

AAUW is a non-profit organization founded in 1881. Its mission is to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. The Middlebury branch, founded in 1922, meets once a month from September through May, and sponsors presentations open to the public. Following its spring 2022 series on “Polarization,” this spring AAUW will focus on “Creating Community.” Middlebury College Professor of Political Science Sarah Stroup will speak on conflict transformation on March 21. Wake Forest Professor of Neuroscience Shannon McCauley Ramback will speak on women in the sciences on April 18.

For more information about AAUW, visit aauw.org. With questions about local AAUW activities, contact Ann Straub (207-210-5563) or Liane Barrera (802-388-7421).