David Adams-Smith, a journalist for more than 30 years in two highly competitive markets, has worked as a reporter, copy editor, photo editor and news editor at the Detroit Free Press and the Chicago Tribune. As Metropolitan News Editor at the Tribune for more than a decade, he was deeply involved in two major redesigns of the newspaper and the expansion of zoned suburban coverage throughout the metropolitan area. He coordinated the newspaper’s design and visual presentation with the reporting and writing on two yearlong projects undertaken by the Tribune, “Killing Our Children” and “Saving Our Children.” He created the centerpiece-style of design that combined photo layouts with well-written news and news-features as focal points on all the Tribune’s section fronts.
He attended seminars on design and news editing at the Poynter Institute in Tampa and represented the Tribune at community journalism and diversity projects sponsored by the Maynard Institute in Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale.
Since retiring from the Tribune, David co-authored a book, Survivors: Children of Divorce, with his wife, documentary photographer and WKU Professor Jeanie Adams-Smith. In 2007 he edited a book, Making Plans, Making Choices, also featuring Jeanie’s photography and published by Planned Parenthood/Chicago Area.
At WKU, he has been involved as a writer and editor in numerous gallery exhibits and multimedia projects. His latest project took him to Cuba, where he did story research and reporting for another photo-documentary project, The Doors of Old Havana.
