Ron Snyder, Patch Staff

ABOUT RON

<b>mail:</b> ronald.snyder&#64;patch.com

<b>Phone:</b> 410-703-6603

<b>Hometown:</b> Essex

<b>Birthday: </b>June 23, 1978

Journalism has been my professional passion for as long as I can remember. My childhood dream was to be the beat writer for the NBA&#39;s Boston Celtics (once I realized I was never going to be the next Larry Bird). I started writing stories in elementary school and eventually joined the staff of The Pipeline, Pikesville High&#39;s student paper.

After graduating in 1996, I moved on to Towson University where I quickly moved up the ranks at its student paper, The Towerlight. It was there that I learned there was more to journalism than just sports, as I served as news editor, sports editor and editor in chief at various points of my collegiate career.

In my junior year in college, I helped lay the foundation for the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association&#39;s internship program and was part of the initial group of interns. That internship with The (Annapolis) Capital led to my first job out of college as I started with that publication two days after graduating from Towson in 2000.

During my five-plus years in Annapolis, I served a variety of roles, including covering western Anne Arundel County, leading high school sports coverage and editing the sports section of The Maryland Gazette, the sister publication of The Capital.

I learned so much from that job as I covered stories ranging from the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to Gov. Robert Ehrlich&#39;s historic election in 2002.

After a brief public relations detour, I moved on to The Baltimore Examiner where I once again moved up the ranks. There, I had the chance to be the beat writer for the Naval Academy and the Baltimore Ravens. I never got any pity after a hard day&#39;s work after people found out I got to cover the Army-Navy game and travel with the Ravens on their way to the AFC championship game.

However, the Examiner soon became just one of the countless victims of the poor economy and the decline of print journalism when it closed in February 2009.

This is why I&#39;m so excited to join Patch as the Essex-Middle River editor. Patch understands that online is the future of journalism and is committed to covering local news like never before.

Having lived in Baltimore County my whole life and Essex for more than a decade, I look forward to bringing the residents of eastern Baltimore County all of the news that comes out of not just theirs, by my, community.

This is my home and the home to my wife, Lori, and my three amazing kids: William and his twin sisters, Marissa and Megan. I look forward to meeting all of you.

<b>Beliefs</b>

<i>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 and human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal certain key beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. </i>

<i>This disclosure is not a license for our editors to inject these beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will force us to be ever mindful to write, report, and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you, the user, ever think you see evidence that we failed in this mission, we wholeheartedly invite you to let us know.</i>

<b>Politics </b><br>I tend to lean more on the conservative side. However, more than a decade of journalism experience has taught me never to live in a world of absolutes. I try to listen to both sides of the argument and make an objective decision on an issue based on the argument not whether the person making their case has an &#34;R&#34; or &#34;D&#34; next to their name.

<b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b>

The Essex-Middle River is such a diverse community. There is a mix of historical, blue collar neighborhoods to go along with many new developments, some of which include near million-dollar waterfront homes.

The health of the water, including the Back Neck River are of great concerm in the community. There is also concern regarding the development of Route 43, which connects Middle River to White Marsh. Also, like any community, people are concerned about crime in their neighborhood, which according to police figures decreased miore than 12 percent in the first six months of 2010.