The Durango Herald recently welcomed its new deputy editor, who looks to emphasize more solution-based and enterprise journalism.
Matt Hollinshead, who grew up in Centennial, started his duties on July 28 after spending the last year as assistant editor of the Beaumont Enterprise in Beaumont, Texas. Before his tenure in the Lone Star State, he spent nearly a decade working for publications in New Mexico and Arizona. His expertise includes business and sports reporting.
Hollinshead graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2013, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in convergent journalism, and individualized degree program encompassing multiple areas of the field.
He said his leadership and management style was partially shaped by one of his mentors, John Moses, Executive Editor for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and former editor of the Farmington Daily Times.
“There comes a point in time where you have to know when to give your journalist the green light to let them do their thing and instill that confidence,” he said.
Hollinshead’s other key mentors who influenced him include Beaumont Enterprise Editor Kaitlin Bain, as well as former El Paso Times staff member and Carlsbad Current-Argus Editor Aaron Bracamontes.
Hollinshead prides himself on being a collaborative leader who enjoys helping young reporters grow consistently and steadily. He worked as a sports reporter and editor until the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. At that time, he was working at the Farmington Daily Times and decided to transition into business reporting.
“I realized very quickly just how impactful business reporting in and of itself is, just knowing there is that strong consistent interest,” he said.
Areas where he would like to expand the Herald’s coverage include education, specifically enterprise work on that beat, and economic development. He said he would like to cover Durango’s economy in a broader sense and pursue stories discussing topics like companies and projects that can help spark future economic growth.
Hollinshead also looks to bring a more solution-based approach when it comes to beats such as public safety. Examples of such stories include notable trends like a rising number of certain arrests, whether drunken driving or property crimes, he said.
The deputy editor position appealed to Hollinshead because it allowed him to return home to Colorado while continuing to garner leadership experience. He said Durango’s scenic views and outdoor culture made him interested in living in the city, adding he enjoys off-roading at Purgatory Resort and Vallecito Reservoir.
Familiarity with Fort Lewis College, which competes in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with his alma mater, MSU Denver, also drew Hollinshead to Durango.
“We began considering Matt after Deputy Editor Shane Benjamin decided to return to his former reporting beat at the Herald,” said Herald Senior Editor Trent Stephens. “Matt impressed us with his interest and experience in the Four Corners and with the excitement he showed at the prospect of working with the Herald’s team of reporters. He’s eager to get to work, and we're glad that he's here.”
