Detroit News biz editor leaves for Ford

Mark Truby, the business editor at the Detroit News, is leaving the paper to become director of global corporate news for the Ford Motor Co., where he will work to rebuild the company’s image, according to a memo posted on the Romenesko site.

Charlie Holleran, vice president and chief communications officer at the auto maker, wrote, “Mark comes to Ford with a wealth of knowledge about our company and our business, having covered us for the past seven years. Under Mark’s leadership, The Detroit News has won numerous state and national awards, including the Gerald R. Loeb Award, the nation’s top award for business journalism, and the International Golden Wheel for outstanding automotive coverage.

“In addition, The Detroit News’ business section this year was named one of the top three in the nation in its circulation category by The Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Before joining The Detroit News, Mark worked as reporter for USA Today and The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington, West Virginia. Mark and his wife, Kathleen, live in Ferndale, Mich., with their three sons.”

Read more here.

Not in the memo: In 1997, his coverage of a case involving an American couple on trial for murder in the Caribbean Island of St. Vincent won a number of national awards, including the Al Nakkula Police Reporting Award, National Press Club’s top award for diplomatic correspondence and Gannett’s Freedom of Information award.