ATLANTA (AP) — William “Bill” Shipp, a journalist whose passion for scoops and sometimes-scorching criticism of politicians fueled his coverage of Georgia for more than 50 years, died Saturday at age 89. “They suggested I probably needed to quit The Red and Black,” Shipp said in a videotaped interview with the Atlanta Press Club, which he helped found. Shipp went to work for The Atlanta Constitution in 1956, saying he wanted to work for legendary editor Ralph McGill. “What Bill Shipp had to say about you mattered, and you always wanted to be in his good graces,” said friend and fellow journalist Maria Saporta, noting Shipp was a voice of racial moderation in the South. Zell Miller once videotaped a message for the Atlanta Press Club that said “I hate Bill Shipp“ in a loud voice.

Source: The Star July 11, 2023 00:01 UTC