MY FATHER, who was a newspaperman, used to like the old saying that there are three things that everyone thinks they can do better than anyone else: Drive a car, start a fire, and run a newspaper. Actually, there was an off-color version of the second thing, but this being (still) a family newspaper, we won't go there.

Like his boss and colleague Bill Loeb, my dad also appreciated the line that you should take seriously your beliefs, but you shouldn't take yourself too seriously. Which is why B.J., my dad, used to also say, “Any idiot can run a newspaper (pause), and some do!''

I feel privileged to be helping to run this newspaper. As my friend John Harrigan notes, running a paper is sort of a stewardship. Our newspapers were here before us and will be here after us; we are just their temporary custodians.

Of course, in this tumultuous time for business in general and communications businesses in particular, it might seem to some that Harrigan and I are going out on a limb to even say that papers will continue to be around. They will continue to change and evolve, to be sure; and more people may read them electronically. But the page-for-page organization of a newspaper, displaying news, photos, and advertisements in some order, will continue to be a valued product, helping readers to put in order and perspective the chaos of our lives.

The newspapers will go hand-in-hand with their dot-com counterparts, such as UnionLeader.com, which provide breaking news on mobile devices and, in turn, work with evolving social media to help news companies such as ours inform readers.

Which leads me to want to inform Union Leader readers of some changes here that have kept us so busy that I have no clue what became of summer.

For one, I have reassumed my longtime role as editor and will be splitting my time between the newsroom and the publisher's office. This is a common setup in a lot of companies and, for now at least, it will be the case here. Having spent much of last week back in the newsroom, I must say I am newly impressed with the Union Leader and Sunday News team, and it feels great to be here.

We also have two new members of the team. Shannon Sullivan has come aboard as Community Relations Manager. She is a familiar face in the Manchester area, having worked for Greater Manchester United Way and the Salvation Army.

Nick Bolitho is directing our advertising team. He has worked for newspaper and Internet companies large and small in America, but retains a distinct British accent and a jolly sense of humor. I am hoping he can get me an intro to Princess Kate.

Write to Joe McQuaid at publisher@unionleader.com.