Bennett joins Green Valley News and Sun as editor
He started his new job Dec. 26.
Bennett formerly was editor of The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale and sports editor of the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.
The University of Tennessee graduate, 45, has spent 15 of his 22 years in journalism at Arizona newspapers. He was sports editor in Tucson for six years before leaving for The Southern, a sister newspaper of the Star's with Lee Enterprises.
Previously, Bennett worked nine years at The Arizona Republic and The Phoenix Gazette. He was at The Miami News, The Seattle Times and The Charlotte Observer earlier in his career.
"I am excited to be back in Arizona," Bennett said. "This is a dynamic market, filled with readers who devour the newspaper from cover to cover. It has great potential for growth with the population increasing by thousands every year and the need for local news.
"I'm a big believer that newspapers can be unifying forces in their communities," Bennnett added. " I hope I can help facilitate debate and produce stories readers will look forward to seeing in every edition."
Publisher Pam Mox said: "James is going to be an asset to our newspapers and to the community. He understands the importance of community involvement and listening to our readers. We are looking forward to a bright future."
The Green Valley News and Sun Web site is gvnews.com.