After Ryan Blethen graduated from high school in 1991, he knew he did not want to stay in his home city of Seattle for his college years, but rather search for that coveted college town feeling. That search landed him on the Palouse at Washington State University.
“Growing up in Seattle, I had no interest in going to the University of Washington,” he said. “I wanted to get away and grow as a person. Pullman seemed like the perfect place for that.”
Flash forward 34 years and Blethen is now the sixth publisher of Washington State’s Largest newspaper, The Seattle Times. He became the representative for the fifth generation of Blethen’s in a row to lead the family-owned paper when he assumed the position earlier this year.
Although he did not study journalism at WSU, Blethen credits his history studies and professors for teaching him writing skills he says easily transfer to news reporting.
“I had some really amazing professors,” he said. “I felt like I was really prepared for what I was going to do. I found history really helps with your critical thinking.”
Blethen told the Evergreen it was not just his time in the classroom at WSU that changed his career for the better, but the welcoming Coug community that played an equally important role in shaping his personal and professional growth.
“I really grew as a person in Pullman, I really found out who I was apart from my family, which has really served me well in my career,” Blethen said. “I don’t think people who go to other schools understand the community that Wazzu is, you can get a go Cougs anywhere you go, it’s the best.”
After graduating from WSU in 1996, Blethen attended grad school at the University of Kansas to study journalism. Following grad school, he bounced around the Washington State newspaper scene, with stints at the Yakima Herald and Spokesman Review, before returning home in 2005 to work for the family business.
Blethen worked as a reporter, editor and managing editor for over 20 years with The Seattle Times before being named publisher.
When it comes to the always-changing and increasingly hectic business of newspaper publishing, Blethen says the Times’ strategy remains a simple one: do not overcomplicate it.
“You hear a lot of doom and gloom about the newspaper industry these days,” Blethen said. “It’s not super complicated, it’s not a secret sauce, we just make sure we are covering topics our readers care about and having a good-sized newsroom. We’ve been doing good, the Mariners and Seahawks making deep playoff runs is definitely helping business.”
Blethen said he looks forward to leading the Seattle Times into the future and continuing his family’s long-standing tradition of quality Northwest reporting.
“Enjoy your time in Pullman, that time in Pullman is the best, I don’t know anyone who looks back and goes, too bad I went there,” he said when asked if he had any advice to leave with WSU students.
Blethen did not confirm any details on more Coug coverage coming to the Seattle Times when asked, but he did meet the question with an ear-to-ear smile and a laugh.
“I would personally like it, but that’s not the role of the publisher,” he said.
