Jim Slonoff began at the Star as a photographer in 1977. He subsequently served as photo editor, and became the paper’s managing editor in 1980. Jim graduated from NIU with a B.S. degree in journalism that same year. Colleagues and friends remember Jim’s photos for their drama and humor. As managing editor, Jim was known for his hands-on approach to managing the paper and his strong belief that a newspaper should tell the truth. Jim also met his wife of 20 years, Ilene Fleishman, then a Star copy editor.

Upon graduation, Jim joined The Doings, a family-owned newspaper serving Hinsdale and several nearby west suburban communities. Though Jim began at the Doings as a photographer, he rose over the years to become vice president and general manager of the paper. Under Jim’s tenure, The Doings grew dramatically in circulation, pages-per-issue, ad revenues and in the number of editions published … and it won numerous awards for its content. In 1999, The Doings was purchased by a company in the Pioneer Press Newspapers chain. Jim retained his position as general manager, and has spent the past year overseeing the paper’s transition.

Jim has made many contributions to the Northern Star, its student staff and to journalism at NIU. Jim (along with fellow Star alums Mike Burke and Ed Underhill) founded the “Alumni for a Free Press” in 1986, when then-NIU President Clyde Wingfield attempted to take control of the paper by firing the Star’s adviser, Jerry Thompson. “Alumni for a Free Press” prevented the NIU administration from destroying the Star’s independence and violating its First Amendment right to publish stories critical of the administration. A public campaign was waged, directed by Jim, Mike Burke and the alumni they organized, and eventually it led to Wingfield’s resignation and Thompson’s reinstatement.

Jim also has been an officer of the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, an organization closely associated with NIU and the Star. As a leader of NINA for nearly two decades, Jim has contributed to the education of young journalists at NIU and throughout Illinois. He also is a board member of the Illinois Press Association.

Jim, his wife, Ilene, and their two sons, Michael and Matthew, live in Hinsdale.