[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 116 (Tuesday, September 26, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1592-E1593]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO JOHN TROUTT, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARION BERRY

                              of arkansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 26, 2000

  Mr. BERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
Arkansan, and I am proud to recognize John Troutt, Jr. in the Congress 
for his invaluable contributions and service to our nation.
  John Troutt, Jr. for many defines the daily newspaperman. Almost 
anyone can call himself or herself an editor or publisher, but few can 
fill the role of a newspaperman. He is an anachronism in this 
corporate-driven world that equates bigger with better.
  A highly successful businessman, he has stood at the helm of The 
Jonesboro Sun for decades, guiding the growth of The Sun from a small 
afternoon daily newspaper to the largest, independent family-owned 
publication in Arkansas that serves as the regional morning paper in 
the Northeast area of the state. His recent announcement that The Sun 
will be sold to the Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Kentucky, was felt 
across the state of Arkansas. Other newpapermen have paid tribute to 
Troutt in recent weeks after learning The Sun was up for sale.
  For two decades he has served as editor, overseeing the newsroom, and 
as publisher, overseeing the business side of the newspaper, in 
addition to assuming the role of night editor two nights a week, in 
charge of putting out the next morning's edition. Very few newspapermen 
have had the love of the business or sufficient stamina--he will be 71 
in October--to fulfill his many roles, much less fulfill them with his 
energy and passion.

[[Page E1593]]

  Every day he writes The Sun's editorials. Readers have no difficulty 
understanding where he stands. He has not hesitated to call on public 
officials and bodies to correct what he views as an errant course.
  In newspaper circles, he is best known for his beliefs in the tenets 
of the first amendment. He has filed more lawsuits than any other 
Arkansas editor or publisher to enforce the provisions of the state 
Freedom of Information Act. ``The public's business should be done in 
public'' is his oft-repeated philosophy.
  John has been a mentor, advisor, and friend to all of Northeast 
Arkansas. He has dedicated his life to serving his fellow citizens as a 
leader in both his profession and his community, and he deserves our 
respect and gratitude for his contributions. On behalf of the Congress, 
I extend congratulations and best wishes to my good friend John Troutt, 
Jr. on his successes and achievements.

                          ____________________