LVN’s Ranson enters Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame

Retired Lahontan Valley News editor and general manager Steve Ranson was one of nine journalists inducted Saturday into the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame’s class of 2024.

The induction was held on the same day as the press awards banquet at The Depot Craft Brewery & Distillery. He is the first Fallon journalist to be inducted since 2008 when the late Anne Pershing, the longtime editor and general manager of the LVN, who spent almost a half century in journalism, was added to the Hall of Fame.

In addition to Ranson, inductees included Guy Clifton, a friend and retired reporter from the Reno Gazette-Journal who recently died. Clifton, a Gabbs native, became one of the most prolific reporters covering local and national rodeo events and the people who compete in the sport.

• Mary Hausch’s distinguished career in journalism and education came at the Las Vegas Review-Journal during the 1970s and 1980s where she held senior editorial roles at a time when women were just beginning to enter management, showing remarkable leadership and resilience.

• The late Jake Highton, a veteran journalist and professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, made significant contributions to journalism and media education throughout his prolific career.

• Bill Hughes, a master photographer, spent more than 30 years in Nevada, primarily with CityLife and its sister publications.

• The late Frank McCulloch was the son of a pioneer Nevada ranch family in Fernley who served as a combat war correspondent and led major American news organizations. He began his career as a reporter covering crime, sports, and politics for the Reno Evening Gazette from 1946 to 1953.

• Guy Louis Rocha, a distinguished historian and former state archivist of Nevada, dedicated his career to preserving and interpreting the state’s rich history as the state archivist.

• Laura Tennant began her journalism career in 1987 with the Fernley Leader-Dayton Courier. She played a pivotal role in local journalism, serving as editor for Dayton and Fernley offices and documenting the community’s events and history.

• Charles Zobell, who died three days before the induction ceremony, played a pivotal role in guiding the Las Vegas Review-Journal through massive community changes as city editor and managing editor.

“I am so honored to be inducted today into the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame,” Ranson said during his remarks. “This class represents the best of journalism not only here in Nevada but worldwide. I am also saddened by those who are no longer with us, and this is a time for me to pay my respects to longtime friend Guy Clifton, who died two weeks ago, and former Las Vegas Review-Journal Managing Editor Charles Zobell, who recently died days before this ceremony.

“I am honored to be a part of this class with Guy, Charles and the other six.”

While sports editor and then editor and general manager from 2008 to 2017, the LVN won more than 150 state, national and international newspaper awards, including national recognition for his editorial and sports writing. Ranson developed his love for writing as a sports reporter for the Wells Progress, covering all the high school sports from 1976-83, and writing profiles of events and of the many people who lived in the small northeastern Nevada community.

This was in addition to Ranson being a high-school English and journalism teacher, a fireman with the Wells Fire Department, an EMT-II with Wells Ambulance and a city councilman for four years.

For 28 years, Ranson served in the Nevada Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve-Panama, which included assignments as both a public community affairs office and broadcast officer in Panama for the Southern Command Network. His work advocating for veterans and student journalists has left a lasting impact at both state and national levels. He has been involved with Honor Flight Nevada in writing about veterans.

“My 44-year print career has included both the civilian and military audiences. I enlisted in the Nevada Army National Guard to become a combat medic. Instead, the recruiter looked at my application, saw that I had a master’s degree and looked me into the eyes: Son, you are officer material,” Ranson said. “Retired Col. Phil Gustafson persuaded me not to enlist as a combat medic in the Nevada Army National Guard but to become an officer in the public information branch.”

As both a military and civilian journalist, Ranson followed the troops to 16 states and eight countries. He rode in armed convoys in Afghanistan and flew aboard a Chinook helicopter over north-central Afghanistan on numerous times. During his first Team Spirit training in 1984 to South Korea, Ranson stood at the DMZ between the two Koreas; a year later, he met then Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega at a Fourth of July parade at Fort Clayton; and he interviewed the top Romanian air force general at a NATO base in 2022.

Ranson was inducted into the Nevada Army Guard Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame in 2018.

“Steve’s commitment to community and bring veteran issues to light is unwavering,” said Adam Trumble, editorial director of the Nevada News Group. “Steve’s induction is well-deserved and another accomplishment in an incredible career.”

After coming to Fallon in 1986, Ranson first met the late Anne Pershing, editor of the Lahontan Valley News, and Publisher David Henley. He had been hired by the school district to teach English and journalism and advise the student newspaper. He had previously taught English and Journalist at Wells (Nevada) High School; English 101 and 102 for Northern Nevada Community College (Now Great Basin); journalism classes at Wester Nevada College in Fallon; and mass media and English at Balboa High School, a Department of Defense Dependents School in Panama.

“I approached Anne about writing high school sports,” Ranson said. “Over the next 15 years Anne was very supportive. She instilled ‘Why’ was just as important as ‘what.’ She also hired my sons to be part-time photographers, and my daughter later helped typed birth announcements and marriages.”

In 2008, Ranson said my current publisher Keven Todd wanted him to step in as editor. He said Pershing also persuaded him to become the editor of the LVN in 2008 because she wanted someone to hold Fallon’s heart.

“I am also thankful for the other mentors: Rex Daniels, my high school journalism teacher, and Bob Stoddard, the KBET Radio owner in Reno who hired me as a radio announcer when I was a high school sophomore,” Ranson said. “He also gave me the opportunity to broadcast sports and read the news.”

Ranson said others who supported him over his career were former LVN owner David Henley, publisher Rick Swart and editors Steve Lyon and Josh Johnson; friends Bob Conrad, Barry Smith and Trumble; Wyoming Life editor George Sura; and his fellow journalists and Executive Director Chad Stebbins with the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.

“Ron Goldman, program director with the Southern Command Radio-TV Network in Panama in the mid-1980s, gave me the creative eye to develop content and make events come alive, and Dick DeWitt, an anchor and news director for KCRL (now KRNV) TV preached consistency and the active voice in writing copy,” Ranson said.

Ranson graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and also earned a Masters in Educational Administration and Higher Education in 1980. He also completed the U.S. Army Reserve Public Affairs program.

Ranson also recognized his son Thomas, who won three sports writing and photography awards for the LVN and has been with the newspaper since he was a junior high school student in Fallon, and his granddaughter Kyra, who is a freshman at Reno High School and is taking a journalism course.

“And most of all, thanks to my family for understanding those missed dinners and holidays, and to Charlotte, my love for all her support,” he said.