Bill Shields leaving Masthead magazine

Bill Shields, whose provocative questioning and hard, hard work has helped make Masthead magazine what it is today, is leaving as editor of the industry's trade magazine, effective tomorrow. He will have completed his tour by editing the May-June issue that subscribers will see later this month. (Fair disclosure: I am paid to write the Good Question column in the magazine). He's been with North Island publishing for 9 years, and six years as editor. Now, he's essentially putting magazines behind him.

Bill beat back non-Hodgkins lymphoma just over a year ago and in the process, understandably, came to adopt a "carpe diem" approach to life (seize the day). Last summer, he took time off to go and race motorcycles. Now he wants to do some more of that hair-raising sport, maybe take the cross-continent motorcycle trip he always wanted to do and get his commercial pilot's license. His idea of the perfect career shift will be if he can wind up flying cargo planes into the the Canadian north.

I think I won't be alone in wishing him well. Bill is the definition of "feisty" and fun to be around. If he rubbed some people in the industry the wrong way, well, he saw that as a natural outcome of doing his job and reporting on the issues that magazines face.