Sean Robinson takes helm as editor of Washington State Standard

Veteran journalist Sean Robinson has joined the Washington State Standard as editor-in-chief, States Newsroom announced.

“We’re happy to have Sean on board leading the Standard at this crucial time. His deep knowledge of Washington and his leadership skills make him perfectly suited for this role,’’ said Chris Fitzsimon, States Newsroom publisher and CEO.

Born in Washington, Robinson started his career in suburban weekly newspapers before moving to the Tacoma News Tribune, where he spent 20 years as an award-winning investigative reporter before shifting to an editing role.

At The News Tribune, Robinson covered criminal justice along with local and state government issues, with a particular focus on government accountability. He is a specialist in public disclosure topics.

Robinson has written about the Green River killer and David Brame, the infamous Tacoma police chief who fatally shot his wife and himself in 2003. Robinson’s subsequent work exposed shortcomings in the state of Washington’s mental health system. His honors include the Associated Press Ted Natt First Amendment Award, the Kenneth F. Bunting Award for open government coverage, and C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards for investigative and enterprise reporting.

“I’m honored to join the Washington State Standard and its team of reporters,” Robinson said. “The Standard and States Newsroom represent a new, yet classical model of sorely-needed statehouse coverage. I’m looking forward to this adventure, and I’m dedicated to taking it to a new level.” 

He replaces former editor Bill Lucia.

Washington State Standard is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization, with reporters in all 50 capitals plus Washington, D.C. States Newsroom’s headquarters are in Chapel Hill, N.C., and Washington, D.C.

Since 2010, Robinson also has served as a faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, where he teaches communication writing and advises student journalists. He and his wife live in Pierce County, with their dog and two cats.