E-mail: kyle@patch.com
Phone: 267-250-3892
Hometown: Reading, PA
Birthday: 5/31
Bio [updated 10/13/11]
I'm excited to be the editor of Upper Dublin Patch, and of course to be a part of this community. Journalism has hit hard times recently, but I believe that Patch has a model to help reinvent and improve the industry.

A Reading, Pennsylvania native, I am proud of my Pennsylvania Dutch roots (since 1734). I'm a Wilson High School alumnus, where I was an avid wrestler and a member of the debate team.

I attended Temple University to study political science, but realized I was better suited to the "watchdog" side of civics and instead pursued journalism.

I took a particular interest in hyper-local and entrepreneurial journalism, and founded an alternative news website for the Temple University community that became something of a sensation. It was that site's success that made me realize journalism isn't dying; it just needs a breath of fresh air.

After graduation, I worked as a freelancer covering mainly environmental, social and political issues, until being hired by Patch to cover Upper Dublin. My work occassionally still appears in regional publications such as the Temple Review, DTown magazine, GRID magazine and others.

Your Beliefs
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.

Politics  [updated 10/21/11]
How would you describe your political beliefs?
I describe my political beliefs as practical, and I like to consider each issue logically. In the past, my conclusions tended to fall to the left, but I don't think the conversation about the American political system is as simple as left and right anymore. There are fundamental problems, and both parties share equal responsibility. I think the biggest problem with politics is the money behind it-- if you subtract money from the equation, you can add honesty.

Are you registered with a certain party?
Yes, I am a registered democrat, but considering a switch.

Religion
I am agnostic.

Local Hot-Button Issues [updated 10/13/11]
What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?
After living here and covering news for just under a year, I think one of the major issues is concerns over responsiveness from officials in the school district and township. I think this is one of this areas where communication is key: I see both sides, where community members have expectations as taxpayers and an electorate, but also, employees really work hard day in and day out to make Upper Dublin a great place to live and learn.

I'm also an environmentalist and am concerned with parts of Upper Dublin existing in a floodplain. I believe weather is becoming more erratic as a result of human influence, and communities need to prepare themselves with the expectation that abnormally heavy rainfalls are going to get worse. This ties directly into overdevelopment, as adding more impervious surfaces is exactly what you don't want to do.