There’s an old saying, familiar in many a newsroom, about what a career in journalism is really like: “The pay is lousy, the hours are worse, but the good news is, everybody hates you.” Longtime Times-Review reporter Tim Gannon no doubt endured at least two of those challenges over the course of his thirty-plus year career — 29 of which were spent working as a staff writer for the Riverhead News-Review and The Suffolk Times. But as the comments below — from just a tiny fraction of the people Tim worked with, interviewed and reported on clearly show — he graciously and professionally avoided the latter.
“I guess the greatest compliment you can give a reporter is that when they interview you, on whatever subject, they do an extremely fair and honest reporting of what you spoke about. And Tim never interviewed me or asked me something that didn’t [go to] print as it was. He didn’t put any kind of slant on it. It was just honest reporting — and that’s very refreshing. And Tim was pretty well known for that, and very well liked in the town circle. We dealt with him for years. He was our guy. He was a master of objectivity. And Tim was everywhere — every function you went to over the years, Tim was there, either eating from a plate of cookies and taking pictures or scratching out notes and interviewing people. So he’s kind of an icon.
“I know for a while that he was charged with taking care of his brother with special needs, and helped raise him. That wasn’t easy, I’m sure, for him, and but it just goes to show what kind of character he has … such a great character and such a good demeanor. He’s definitely going to be missed.”
Tim Hubbard, Riverhead Town Supervisor
“Tim Gannon worked with us for close to three decades covering Riverhead and the North Fork. His encyclopedic knowledge of the area, dedication and sense of humor will be greatly missed. It is not the same without Tim as part of our team. He is a true community journalist through and through.”
Andrew Olsen, Times-Review publisher
“Tim spent his career working in community journalism. He covered many places and many issues and stories, and throughout his career, he did it with uncommon grace. Newsrooms can be challenging places in terms of personalities, but Tim was always a gentle presence. We worked together for about six years, but I knew of his work when I was with Newsday. He was a quiet presence in the Times-Review newsroom, and a joy to be around. Whatever comes next for Tim, I am sure he will do it with the same grace he brought to his work.”
Steve Wick, former Times-Review executive editor
“All journalists should strive to reach the high caliber of Tim Gannon. To be able to gain the utmost respect and trust from the community he covered for over two decades is an incredible accomplishment that should be commended. Tim is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to local issues — as my cubicle neighbor in the office, he always had an answer to every town government related question or a contact to reach out to. I always enjoyed his stories, and we shared many laughs. He definitely deserves all the recognition and celebration, and a happy retirement.”
Ana Borruto, Times-Review multimedia reporter
“I had the great pleasure to work alongside Tim Gannon for many years. I always marveled at how many stories he could write in a week, keeping tabs on everything happening in Riverhead, and particularly, within the walls of Town Hall. As an editor, I always relied on Tim to take on the challenging assignments and explain what was happening in local government. No matter what time of day, he never turned down an assignment (unless he happened to fall asleep at home late at night with his cat on his chest.) Everyone in Riverhead trusted Tim to tell their stories. If Tim wasn’t at his desk or out on an assignment, he was likely pacing the halls of the office or sitting in his car while on the phone with an elected official. You would always see Tim with a voice recorder perched next to his phone as he documented each and every word.
“I’ll always remember Tim tracking down the grandfather of a Riverhead service member who had died in Iraq, helping break one of the biggest stories during my tenure.
“After so many years on the beat, Tim deserves some rest, and I hope he can enjoy some time away from the newsroom. He was a great asset to Times-Review, the Town of Riverhead, and a great friend to all of us who worked alongside him. He always kept us entertained.”
“Tim was always professional, serious when he needed to be, and had a good sense of humor. He really believed in what he was doing, and really cared about his community. A really genuine man.”
Al Krupski, Southold Town Supervisor
“My first job after graduate school was working in the public relations office at Southampton College. Tim was one of the few local journalists who consistently wrote stories from my press releases, and it was so validating for me as a young writer.”
Amanda Olsen, Times-Review staff writer
“He’s always been straightforward with me. Every time he wrote an article, there was no spin on it, and he didn’t interject himself. He just reported what was told to him and how it was told to him and what each person said and let people decide on their own. He didn’t try to spin it or sway anybody. Before he would publish anything that was harsh toward me, he’d ask for a clarification, just to try to balance it.”
James Wooten, Riverhead town clerk
“Tim’s byline is synonymous with the News-Review, and I grew up reading it in my hometown paper. I sat across from Tim in the old Times-Review office when I joined the staff in 2018, and he quickly became a friend and mentor.
“In the newsroom, Tim always had a knack for helping others with his vast institutional knowledge and even bigger rolodex of phone numbers — something he graciously continued to share even after I left the paper.
“But Gannon also brought levity to a stressful atmosphere, and you could always count on him for a sharply witty observation or one-liner — some not printable — that would make your whole day.
I’ll miss his reporting, and bumping into him at Town Hall, but his retirement is well-earned. I wish Tim peaceful Tuesday nights off from Town Board meetings, many more Yankees games and all the best in his next chapter.”
Tara Smith, former Times-Review colleague
“I know Tim from a lot of different things that I’ve been doing — from working on Alive on 25 and Reflexions and all the different events we did. Tim’s always been around somewhere writing up a great story about things that are going on. Always a friendly face and a friendly smile and some kind of funny joke.”
Diane Tucci, Riverhead Town Board coordinator
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