Star business editor leaves for a job at the Chamber, damn it

I can’t let this horrible week in Kansas City journalism end without making note of some news about The Kansas City Star that might have been overshadowed by the paper’s Black Monday layoffs.

Yesterday, news broke that Chris Lester, the paper’s assistant managing editor for business, was leaving to take a job as senior vice president for business growth at the Chamber of Commerce. He wasn’t among those who’d been laid off, but I can’t blame the guy for evacuating. Still, it’s sad to see good journalists abandoning the craft.

I learned a lot about the economy from reading Lester’s columns. He’s been a calm voice during these high-anxiety days, and he had a talent for humanizing economics, making the science understandable. Like when he wrote about his corn-farming father in Iowa to illustrate the impact of ethanol subsidies. Or when he did his last-minute Christmas shopping online. The Star will charge you for those archival columns, which is why I’m not bothering to link to them. Here, I’ll give you a more recent one: “Is America in the mood for class warfare?” Despite its provocative headline, you’ll see what I mean about the calm and educational tone.

Lester’s explanations for why he’s leaving the paper, and how he feels about it, also make total sense.