Owen Skoler, Patch Staff

Owen Skoler is the Local Editor of Kirkwood Patch. He earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri with a focus on magazine writing in 2008. While attending college, Skoler worked as a city hall reporter for the Boone County Journal, as well as a public safety reporter for the Columbia Missourian. Upon graduating from Mizzou, Skoler reported for Worcester Magazine, an alternative newsweekly in Massachusetts, where he won multiple regional awards for his coverage of social justice issues. He then returned to his native Washington, D.C., where he worked as an editor for FDAnews and oversaw coverage of the pharmaceutical industry.

Skoler is excited to return to the world of community journalism and is honored to be delivering the residents of Kirkwood and surrounding municipalities the news that matters to them most. He lives with his wife, dog and cat in Kirkwood and enjoys rock climbing and playing ice hockey in his free time. He also enjoys playing guitar, however he has yet to meet anyone who enjoys hearing him play.

<b>Your Beliefs</b><br>At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

<b>Politics </b><br>How would you describe your political beliefs?<br>Are you registered with a certain party?

I would describe my political beliefs as liberal, however I am not registered with a political party.

<b>Religion</b><br>How religious would you consider yourself? (casual, observant, devout, non religious)

I appreciate and respect all religious beliefs.<br><b><br>Local Hot-Button Issues</b><br>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?<br>Where do you stand on each of these issues?

Race: I believe race and having Kirkwood be a place that fosters diversity are important to our readers. I support any efforts to educate residents about race and discrimination, and I would like readers to suggest how to best cover this issue.

Business Development: I believe the preservation of Kirkwood as a distinct community in the St. Louis area is very important to our readers. As Kirkwood continues to grow, I think it is important that government makes every effort to ensure development is healthy and responsible.