Russell to retire after news career spanning four decades

Idaho Press staff

Betsy Russell, Boise bureau chief and state Capitol reporter for the Idaho Press and Adams Publishing, will retire Jan. 1.

Russell has headed the Boise bureau for the Press for the past five years, helping oversee the newspaper’s major expansion into Ada County. Prior to that, she worked as a reporter and editor for The Spokesman-Review for 27 years, and before that, as a reporter and editor for the Idaho Statesman for five years. She also worked for several California newspapers earlier in her career.

“I am deeply grateful for the positive impact that Betsy Russell had on the Idaho Press, and I think our readers appreciate her work as much as we do,” said Idaho Press Publisher Matt Davison. “She will be deeply missed by our employees, our company and those who follow her.”

Russell’s reporting has won numerous awards. She has also served as the longtime president of the Idaho Press Club, president of the Capitol Correspondents Association and president and co-founder of Idahoans for Openness in Government, a role she plans to continue after her retirement.

Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California-Berkeley and a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.

“I will still be doing some part-time work for the Idaho Press in the future,” Russell said, “though I plan to take the winter off to pursue my top priority in retirement: skiing on weekdays. This is something I haven’t been able to do for nearly a quarter-century due to the timing of the legislative session.”

She also plans to continue to make her institutional knowledge available as a resource to reporters at the Idaho Press.

“I’m proud of the work I’ve done,” Russell said, “and I’m especially excited about the high caliber of young reporters we have coming up in Idaho. I urge everyone to subscribe to your local newspaper, watch your local news and pay attention to what’s happening in our state and our communities. Don’t rely on social media. Idaho journalists work hard to bring out the real stories.”

The Idaho Press will be throwing a party in January to celebrate Russell’s career. All are invited; details are to come.

“We love Betsy and are looking forward to celebrating her Hall of Fame career in style,” Managing Editor Teddy Feinberg said.