Whiteley Joins Tmes as Reporter, Mentor

Michael Whiteley, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s senior reporter in Northwest Arkansas, has taken a pay cut to join the staff of the Northwest Arkansas Times.

Whiteley, who reported for the D-G’s enterprise desk in Little Rock, says he didn’t see a place in the new zoned Northwest Arkansas edition of the newspaper for the kind of computer-assisted reporting he does.

“I did not see a place for anything that intensive,” he says. “I saw my efforts directed more toward statewide stories, but I wanted to write about Northwest Arkansas and be part of the newspaper war. And that wasn’t going to happen.”

Whiteley hadn’t worked in the D-G’s Northwest Arkansas office in more than a year. He wrote for the enterprise desk from his home in Fayetteville.

Whiteley says the D-G’s mission is to cover Northwest Arkansas on a daily basis.

“That’s fine, but that’s not what I wanted to do,” says Whiteley, who specializes in investigative reporting that requires extensive research.

Whiteley’s departure comes at a time when the D-G has been adding reporters and editors, primarily by raiding other newspapers in Northwest Arkansas such as the Times.

Whiteley, who previously worked for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, says he’ll get to do computer-assisted reporting at the Times. He’ll also be a mentor for younger reporters at the newspaper.

Whiteley, who grew up in Fayetteville, says this is his chance to work for his hometown newspaper and help make it the best small newspaper in America.

“The Times is sort of a journalism lab on how to do it right and how to have fun at it,” says Whiteley.

“Mike is a proven, capable journalist,” says Times editor Mike Masterson. ” That is going to make him a valuable asset in a lot of ways in the newsroom.

“We’re not through yet,” adds Masterson, who is hiring three new reporters to fend off the D-G’s escalated efforts in Northwest Arkansas.

Whiteley starts his new job on Aug. 3.