File:Rick Edmonds, In Memory.jpeg

Poynter Institute

October 6, 2025

From Tom Jones, The Poynter Report

Today we have sad news to share. Rick Edmonds, Poynter’s media business analyst, passed away suddenly over the weekend. He was 78.

Rick started his career as an assistant to the legendary New York Times journalist James Reston. He went on to be a reporter and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. He then spent 11 years with the St. Petersburg Times in various editor and publisher roles, including two years as managing editor of the paper’s Tampa edition.

Rick eventually moved to Poynter and became among the industry’s best-known and most respected analysts on the economics of journalism. His deep knowledge of the media and the media business was invaluable to not only those inside of Poynter, but throughout the media industry. He was a go-to source and was constantly quoted by major media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. Just a couple of weeks ago, Rick was a source for CNN’s reporting on the FCC and press freedom.

Poynter president Neil Brown wrote in a note to staff, “Be it the economics or the ethics of the news business, Rick’s writing was accessible and his sources were deep. His approach to his work and to his colleagues was gracious and joyful.”

On a personal level, I will add that Rick was as kind and considerate as he was knowledgeable and insightful. For me, he was not only an invaluable resource to discuss media topics, but a friend to share our latest thoughts on the Tampa Bay sports scene, what we were binge-watching on TV and even the music of Taylor Swift. His presence, wisdom and humor in our daily editorial meetings at Poynter were a highlight for all of us in the Poynter newsroom.

I’ll share more in the coming days here in the newsletter. In the meantime, our condolences to his wife of nearly 53 years, Marianne, his two daughters, Leslie and Jenny, and his grandson. Rick will be greatly missed.

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