<p>Ditzler</p>

Veteran journalist Joseph Ditzler has joined the East Oregonian as its city editor.

This is part of our commitment to improve the accuracy and quality of writing, Publisher and Editor Tom Brown said. Joes got tremendous experience. He will head up the news team, working with our reporters, providing focus and emphasizing strong, local stories that our readers demand and deserve.

Ditzler has experience as an investigative reporter and feature writer, as well as a copy editor, writing coach and newsroom supervisor. He joins Managing Editor Skip Nichols and News Editor Daniel Wattenburger in overseeing the daily news production at the East Oregonian.

Community newspapers have a distinct advantage over their erstwhile city competitors and even Web-based newcomers, Ditzler said. We own the field. Who can cover local government, business, sports and breaking news the way a locally based news staff can consistently, thoroughly and professionally?

My job is to challenge the reporting staff to bring our readers their best game.

Ditzler has worked at the Santa Fe bureau for the Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal, Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, the News-Journal in Daytona Beach (Fla.), the Daily Press (Victorville, Calif.), the Press-Enterprise in Bloomsburg, Pa. and the Times-News, Lehighton, Pa. In addition, he worked at Underwater USA, a sport diving magazine.

He is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and earned his masters from the University of Oklahoma. He also attended the University of Southern California. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Ditzler is an avid outsdoorsman, photographer and has a pilots license.

He is enthusiastic about his new hometown of Pendleton.

Pendleton, at first glace, shows its real West face, the one that makes it unlike any other town, he said. After a closer look, I discovered a much more complicated place one with a yoga studio across the street from the Western outfitter, not to mention at least two book stores, a brew pub and a local music scene.

And people have been overwhelmingly welcoming and friendly. Im certain this will be a great place to call home.