Longtime NC biz journalist Smith is retiring

Rick Smith

WRAL digital business and technology manager Rick Smith, one of the creators of the TechWire brand, is retiring.

Jodi Leese Glusco of WRAL writes, “WRAL is committed to continuing Smith’s legacy of leadership in tech reporting and the WRALTechWire brand with a high profile on WRAL.com.

“Smith began his reporting career covering sports in 1966 and first worked for Capitol Broadcasting (the parent of WRALTechWire and WRAL-TV) for Interpath, an early internet service provider.

“In January 2002, he and the late Allan Maurer, backed by entrepreneurs in Charlotte including Andy Agrawal launched Local TechWire, a news site to track the changes the internet would bring – to communication, jobs and lifestyles – and chronicled the business boom of Research Triangle Park and the Triangle at large.”

“The product that evolved into WRALTechWire celebrated 20 years under Smith’s leadership in 2022.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.