Diane Lewis (journalist)
Diane Lewis (c. 1953–August 14, 2007) was an American journalist and writer. Lewis worked as a reporter for the Boston Globe for 26 years. She reported extensively on labor and workers' rights during her last 15 years with the Boston Globe.[1]
Early life
Diane Lewis grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Jamaican immigrants.[1] Her father died when she was very young and she was raised by her single mother.[1]
Lewis obtained a bachelor's degree in English literature from Case Western University in 1975.[1] She worked for several Cleveland area publications following her graduation. She also worked as a publicist for the Cleveland Public Library.[1]
Lewis obtained a fellowship to attend the University of California at Berkeley. Lewis worked for the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts, for three years after leaving UC Berkeley, before being hired by the Boston Globe.[1]
Boston Globe
Diane Lewis covered a variety of beats during her early years at the Boston Globe. The topics she reported on ranged from mental health issues to the legal system.[1]
Lewis focused mainly on labor issues during her last 15 years at the newspaper.[1] She reported on the labor movement, workers' rights and immigrant exploitation. Her stories could be critical of both a company's owners and management, as well as the labor unions.[1] She was described by one Boston Globe editor as having an eye for the "underdog".[1] She often reported specifically on poor working conditions of workers, including issues related to immigrants, those earning low incomes, and workers with bad bosses.[1]
Death
Diane Lewis was diagnosed with cancer in 2005. She died on August 14, 2007, at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Lewis was 54 years old. A memorial service was held in Roxbury, Massachusetts.[1]
Lewis was a Boston resident. She had one daughter, Karina Sharif, who attends the Pratt Institute.[1]
External links
- Bryan Marquard, "Diane Lewis, at 54; Globe reporter covered unions, workers rights" (obituary), Boston Globe, August 16, 2007.