ST. LOUIS 鈥 A longtime reporter and newsroom leader has been named top editor of the 最新杏吧原创 American, the region鈥檚 leading Black-owned news outlet.
Hicks
Rod Hicks, a former editor at multiple news outlets including the Post-Dispatch, will begin as executive editor on Monday, publisher Donald Suggs said.聽
Hicks has four decades of experience as a reporter, editor and consultant advising newsrooms on changes in the journalism industry. He was most recently ethics and diversity director for the Society of Professional Journalists, an Indianapolis-based free press advocacy group.
In an interview, Hicks said he plans to grow the American鈥檚 coverage with a 鈥渄igital-first鈥 approach that could include video and audio storytelling, social media, streaming and other platforms.
鈥淚鈥檓 honored Dr. Suggs trusts me to continue The American鈥檚 legacy and improve our storytelling and engagement with our audience,鈥 Hicks said.
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鈥淲e want to find the stories that are important to our community, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of members of our community, and we want to give them information that is helpful in their daily lives,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut we know there are people more likely to interact with us if they can find us in some of these digital platforms, active and producing good, interesting stories.鈥
Hicks grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and produced holiday newsletters for his family as a child. He earned his first professional byline at age 13 covering a burglary at his former elementary school for the Birmingham World, a Black-owned weekly newspaper.聽
He began his career in 1985 with The Anniston Star in Anniston, Alabama, and has since reported or edited for the Birmingham Post-Herald, The Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News.
Hicks managed nightly news at the Post-Dispatch from January 2006 to late 2008, including when a gunman killed six people during a Kirkwood City Council meeting, coverage later named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in breaking news reporting. He later spent a decade as a national and international news editor for the Associated Press and was also a longtime board member of the National Association of Black Journalists.
Hicks holds a master鈥檚 degree in newspaper management from Northwestern University鈥檚 Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in advertising and marketing from the University of Alabama.
Suggs, in a press release, said Hicks has 鈥渁 wealth of journalism experience, leadership and a deep commitment to editorial excellence.鈥
鈥淗e joins us at a pivotal moment as we work to build on our legacy and reimagine The 最新杏吧原创 American as a digital-first newsroom, expanding our reach and impact across platforms while continuing to proudly serve our community with integrity, insight and relevance,鈥 Suggs said.
Post-Dispatch photographers capture tens of thousands of images every year. See some of their best work that was either taken in June 2025 in this video. Edited by Jenna Jones.
