Hello!

My name is Jason Koch – to eliminate any confusion, that’s pronounced “Cook” – and I am the new editor of the Warren County Record. I’m very happy to be here and look forward to providing you with news you can count on and come to expect.

Journalism is in my blood. I took my first journalism class when I was in eighth grade, and I started working for my hometown newspaper, the Herald-Whig in Quincy, Ill., when I was between my junior and senior years in high school. I majored in journalism in college at the University of Illinois, did an internship with a group of weekly newspapers in the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia, and have worked professionally since November 2006. I started my career at the Tribune-Star in Terre Haute, Ind., and then moved to the Belleville News-Democrat in Belleville, Ill. While I was in Belleville, I was put in a position to work with multiple other newsrooms, including the Kansas City Star and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. I ultimately worked my way up to a corporate position within the McClatchy Co., which took me out of a newsroom for the first time in my career. 

I have to admit, not working in a newsroom was a miserable experience for me. I missed the opportunity to tell stories and inform readers. I grew up on local news, and I thrive on telling these stories. I took the job with The Record because I needed to get back to my roots as a journalist, working to tell the important stories that affect local readers. I’m eager to get out into our communities and meet you, listen to your concerns, and ensure that the Warren County Record serves your needs and tells the stories you want told. 

This is my promise to you. The Warren County Record will continue to tell the positive, wonderful stories about our communities. We will tell the stories of the people who live and work here and who are responsible for making each of our communities a better place for everyone. And we will continue to provide you with news you can trust and to serve as your watchdog. We will watch how your tax money is being spent, and we will work to ensure your elected representatives have your needs at the top of their agendas. 

As much as I love being a journalist, when I’m off the clock I love to play chess and you can usually find me playing in a chess tournament somewhere in the St. Louis area. Whether I’m winning or not is usually up in the air, but I’m always giving it my best. I also coach chess beginners, teaching them to understand the basics and helping them develop a love for the game. You’ll also find me supporting my favorite sports teams. I’m a Toronto Blue Jays baseball fan and I root for my alma mater, the Fighting Illini, in college sports, so when it comes to the Braggin’ Rights game, expect me to wear orange – win or lose!

I really cannot describe to you how happy I am to be here, and how excited I am to get out into the community. I look forward to hearing from you. If there’s something you think we should look into, please let me know. It’s always helpful to know what our readers care about, and it’ll be especially helpful to me as I get up to speed on what’s happening in all our communities. I’m looking forward to meeting you, hearing from you, and serving you.

Jason Koch can be reached at 636-456-6397 and jason@warrencountyrecord.com