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Update, 1:30 p.m. Saturday: Aaron Foley trades journalism for a city government job that still involves his main passion -- storytelling.
The 32-year-old editor and author, whose last day as BLAC Detroit editor was Friday, joins Mayor Mike Duggan's administration Monday, Deadline Detroit learned Saturday.
Aaron Foley "brings a unique storytelling style to City Hall," his new boss says. (Facebook photo)
Mayoral communications director Peter Kadushin confirms the appointment to a job with a probable title of chief storyteller. Foley will work with Kadushin to develop content for a new city website focusing on Detroit neighborhoods. Multimedia profiles of residential areas will present people, small businesses and developments around the city.
"Aaron brings a unique storytelling style to City Hall," Kadushin says. "He and the mayor are both dedicated to creating meaningful and impactful ways to give Detroiters and their neighborhoods a stronger voice. We are excited for Aaron to join our team."
Another senior administration official reacts via Twitter message: "He's awesome. . . . He's a great addition."
As it happens, the newcomer is editor of "The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook," coming this summer from Belt Publishing in Cleveland.
'Making progress'
Foley now will work to support the goal of "showing the various ways in which the city is making progress," the appointee replies to Deadline via email.
"While much of this platform is still in the idea phase, I’m excited to lead the way in doing what we can to amplify the voices of Detroiters everywhere," he says. "While this is experimental, we believe it is something that hasn't been done in city government before."
The administration recruited him, an insider says. It's unclear whether he'll continue to do freelance writing.
A formal announcement is planned Monday or Tuesday, according to a Duggan aide.
Foley is a fourth-generation Detroiter. A great-grandmother lived in the North End and a grandfather owned an Indian Village home.
Foley's childhood began on Webb Avenue near Central High School. His family later lived in Lafayette Park and then in a 2,800-square-foot house in the Russell Woods neighborhood from age 12 to 17.
He's now a homeowner and rehabber on Lawrence Street, just north of Boston-Edison.
Friday post, written with Allan Lengel:
Author and journalist Aaron Foley is stepping down as editor of BLAC Detroit magazine after dramatically changing the monthly for nearly a year and a half.
During that time, he steered the Ferndale-based glossy to newsier content, including a vastly more robust online presence via breaking news posts at its website and social media feeds.
In dropping his seemingly abrupt departure news on Facebook, the 32-year-old newsman doesn't disclose why he leaving the "dream job . . . with such an amazing, talented staff." He's also mum about where he'll resurface:
I’m not sure exactly where my journey will take me next, but this ride ain’t stopping yet.
Aaron Foley: "This ride ain’t stopping yet." (Photo by Alan Stamm)
Foley joined BLAC (Black Life, Arts and Culture), published by Metro Parent Media Group, in December 2015 after working as a marketing copywriter at Team Detroit (2014-15), an automotive writer at Ward's Automotive Reports (2012-13), a reporter and web producer at MLive (2009-12).
MSU graduate
His career began as a Lansing State Journal copy editor after earning a Michigan State University journalism degree in 2007.
He's the author of "How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass" (Belt Publishing, 2015) and editor of "The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook," coming this summer from the same Cleveland publisher.
BLAC, a once-sleepy features magazine, this past year stepped up to become a nimble daily player that breaks news online. Foley and associate editor Alana Walker reported on customers' perceived slights at shops and bars, as well as street-level reactions to political news and last month's death of community leader Delores Bennett.
At his personal social media feeds, Foley isn't shy about posting opinions on matters involving race, hipness and Detroit.
'Hell of a ride'
In the Facebook status announcement, he writes in part:
I’ve been putting off this status for too long, but yup – today is my last day as editor of BLAC. It’s been one hell of a ride, albeit short-lived.
It’s cliché to say things like “dream job” and “dream come true,” but putting together this magazine every month with such an amazing, talented staff truly was. When I was in high school, I once had ambitions of starting a magazine for black teens. I like to think doing this work was as close as I got.
For nearly a year and a half, I was tasked with upholding the critical mission of BLAC while also maximizing the potential that the brand had.
BLAC is a rarity in Detroit media; everyone picks up what we put down. Lots of free publications, but not too many glossies. And despite being free, the look, feel and content of any publication with a sale price. Because there was such recognition of and loyalty to BLAC among readers, I knew we could do more – and we did. Trying new, experimental cover designs, going after feature-length stories that you can’t read anywhere else, putting us out front at events and, of course, growing our online presence at BLACDetroit.com.
But it was always the little things that I enjoyed most. Voicemails from business owners who said they saw increases in customers after a BLAC feature. Little old ladies calling in asking to be mailed back issues because they missed it at their usual spots. People who would drop by the office to just say hello and chat. The “LOLs” and “wow, I never knew that!” comments on our Facebook posts. People tagging us on Instagram reading our issues. The little girl who used a copy of BLAC for a school project on positive images of blackness. The pride in the eyes of the parents who were with us at our valedictorian cover shoot. The readers who said the Obama issue was a collector’s edition. . .
I could go on, but I’m immensely proud of the work we’ve done and what we’ve accomplished in a short amount of time. . . . For now, I’m finishing up the final, final, FINAL edits of “The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook.” (And finish up the April issue of BLAC, which needs to be wrapped up by 5 today.)
