Remembering Chris Welles

Marketwatch.com media columnist Jon Friedman writes Wednesday about Chris Welles, the well-known business journalist who died last week at 72.

Friedman writes, “If Chris had had a chance to read this column — or any of the other stories that have appeared since his passing — I suspect that he would have reacted in two ways. First, he would have questioned the need for a story about his life at all, as he was a modest man. I am also fairly certain that his natural editor’s instinct would have taken over and he’d have promptly begun polishing the pieces — and invariably made them better.

“Why should a stranger who likely never met (or, possibly, ever heard of) Chris Welles care about his life and work? After all, thousands of people like Welles have inspired journalists in newsrooms all over the country. But what made Welles special was the set of qualities that he represented.

“He was a skilled editor who offered encouragement and guidance rather than cutting someone down for the sport of it. Above all, he was a gentleman.

“Beyond his distinguished career, Welles also serves as a symbol for a bygone era of journalism. He epitomized a period in the history of my craft when substance ruled over gossip and old-fashioned reporting meant more than ill-informed bloggers shooting their mouths off.”

Read more here.