Paula LaRocque, former writing coach for The News and ‘master of the English language,’ dies at 84
Recruited to improve the writing of the paper’s journalists, she won admiration throughout the newsroom and around the world.
Outside of her work for The News, Paula LaRocque led writing workshops for professionals in a wide range of fields, was author of several books on writing and penned fictional novels.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
Paula LaRocque was entrusted with a big task when she joined a
Dallas Morning News staff skeptical about her hiring as the paper’s first-ever writing coach.
Staff writers weren’t sure a coach was necessary and many had voiced concerns, former colleagues said, but it wasn’t long before LaRocque was touching lives across the newsroom and, later, the world.