The Eagle-Tribune has a new editor, though he's hardly new to the staff, our readers or the area.

Alan White, who started at this newspaper as a reporter in 1973, will assume leadership of the newsroom Dec. 17.

In addition to having been a reporter, the 59-year-old White brings more than 24 years of editing experience to his new position. He will oversee The Eagle-Tribune's Greater Lawrence, Greater Haverhill and New Hampshire news staffs.

"The Eagle-Tribune is a great newspaper, and we want to be even more great," said Al Getler, publisher of The Eagle-Tribune. "Al knows how to gather the news."

Getler also is publisher of the other daily and weekly papers in the North of Boston Media Group. North of Boston Media Group is part of Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., a company based in Birmingham, Ala., that owns 190 publications across the United States.

White's appointment comes after a reorganization at The Eagle-Tribune and fellow North of Boston Media dailies in Gloucester, Newburyport and Salem, Mass. To fill the position, Getler looked mainly inside the company, talking to employees about who could lead the paper forward.

"In every case, the conversation came back to Al," he said.

For the last few years as senior editor, White worked at the Daily News of Newburyport and more recently as the acting editor for the Gloucester Daily Times. In that role, White's work was praised by readers, which impressed Getler.

"That is the one thing as a publisher I never forget: Our newspaper belongs to the readers," Getler said.

White said he's excited to return to The Eagle-Tribune and head up the news-gathering efforts.

"I spent most of my career working there, trying to put out the best newspaper. I am happy to come back and do that," he said. "We have terrific people, a great staff."

While at The Eagle-Tribune, White was an editor on some of its most important stories, including those that won Pulitzer Prizes, the highest award in journalism.

"I am really proud of the fact that this paper has won two Pulitzers and has been a finalist for two others," White said. "It's a real honor, obviously, for a paper our size. For a paper our size it's pretty unheard of. It goes to show how dedicated and how hard-working and how good the staff is."

Getler said The Eagle-Tribune and its readers couldn't have a better man at the helm, especially during a presidential primary year.

"We have an editor who has been there and done that," he said.

White knows this is a challenging time for the newspaper industry, which is embroiled in a battle with new media. He plans to bring his skills and experience to the paper to help carry on its reputation as reigning beacon of North of Boston news.

"There are new demands on us, new challenges," White said. "When you have that, there are also opportunities to do a better job - to find other ways and better ways to gather news."

He wants to reinvigorate The Eagle-Tribune's local news gathering, both in print and online.

"We want to be the go-to source for news in Southern New Hampshire and the Merrimack Valley," he said. "For important stories, we are going to have it in more detail and more depth than any other news source."

Getler echoed White's comments.

"We want to own the news in the Merrimack Valley," Getler said. "We are the Merrimack Valley's paper."

About Al White

Lives in: Newbury

Originally from: Worcester

Graduated from: College of the Holy Cross in 1970

Joined The Eagle-Tribune: In 1973. Spent 10 years as a reporter, then became New Hampshire editor in 1983. Became metro editor in 1988 and senior managing editor in 2000. Most recently was senior editor for North of Boston Media Group, involved in the news operations of The Eagle-Tribune, the Gloucester Daily Times, the Daily News of Newburyport and the Salem News.

Awards: Highlights include working on The Eagle-Tribune's two Pulitzer Prize-winning stories and two that were finalists for the same prize. The Eagle-Tribune was a finalist for stories about the Alan Eagleson fraud scandal and the Malden Mills fire. It won the coveted prize for stories about the Willie Horton case and the drowning of four boys in Lawrence.