Richard Stein reclaims role as ‘Press’ publisher

Richard L. Stein has once again taken the helm of The Riverdale Press, the newspaper founded by his parents in 1950. 

Mekea Hurwitz Fishlin, who has served as the associate publisher since 2008, will continue to work with The Press but has given up her leadership role to spend more time with her two young children and her husband. 

Richard’s official relationship with The Press began in 1977, when his father’s heart condition became too serious for him to continue the day-to-day responsibilities of publishing the paper. 

Richard had studied architecture at Cornell and became a registered architect in 1974, but he decided to get involved with the newspaper rather than see his family sell it. Within a year, he was joined by his brother, Bernard, who took over as editor. 

In 2005, Bernard relinquished that post to Richard when he became a professor at Hunter College and the City University of New York graduate school of journalism.

“He often says that The Press was like the third child at our dinner table, with him and me. We grew up with it, we both care deeply about Riverdale and the newspaper,” Bernard said.

In June 2008, the brothers sold their interest in the newspaper to Stuart and Clifford Richner. Since the sale, Richard has been the Online Editor of liherald.com, a compendium of 17 community newspaper websites published by Richner Communications in southern Nassau County, New York. He has been an editorial advisor for several Richner publications and redesigned two of its flags, The Jewish Star and the Oyster Bay Guardian.

But he never let go of The Riverdale Press. He and Bernard were both listed on the masthead as publisher emeriti after its sale, and Richard has been an advisor to all who have passed through the paper’s doors. 

“The history of the Stein family and The Riverdale Press are so intertwined it’s impossible to imagine one without the other. Richie has been a great asset to our company since we purchased The Press and we look forward to his bringing his many talents and great enthusiasm back to The Press. It’s great to know that such a great paper is in such good hands,” said Clifford Richner.

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