Margaret Sullivan (journalist)

Margaret M. Sullivan
Born	Lancaster, New York, USA
Residence	New York City
Nationality	American
Education	Georgetown University Northwestern University
Occupation	Public Editor of The New York Times Former editor of The Buffalo News

Margaret M. Sullivan is an American journalist who is the Public Editor of The New York Times, serving as the "readers' representative" and reporting directly to Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. She is the newspaper's fifth Public Editor, or ombudsman, after Daniel Okrent, Byron Calame, Clark Hoyt, and Arthur S. Brisbane, and is the first woman to hold the post. She began her tenure on September 1, 2012, joining The New York Times from The Buffalo News, where she was editor and vice-president.

Biography

The New York Times headquarters in New York City

Sullivan is a native of Lackawanna, New York^[1] and is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds an M.S.J. from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.^[2]

Sullivan was appointed to the Pulitzer Prize Board in 2011 and has been a juror several times and has served as the chairwoman of the commentary jury in 2006. She has been elected a director of the American Society of News Editors and led its First Amendment committee.^[3]

Career

The Buffalo News

Sullivan was the first woman to serve as the editor and as the managing editor of The Buffalo News, the largest newspaper in Upstate New York, after previously working as a reporter and columnist. Sullivan focused the The Buffalo News's reporting on poverty, economic development and inequities in public education as well as establishing its first investigative team.^[4]

The New York Times

In the The New York Times announcement on July 16, 2012, former executive editor of The New York Times Jill Abramson said, “Margaret has exactly the right experience to assume this critical role for us at this time. She has an impressive 32-year background in print journalism where she has distinguished herself as a reporter, columnist, editor and manager. And critically for us at this time, she has shown adeptness at embracing new platforms and engaging and interacting with readers in real time online, in print and in person.”^[5] Unlike previous Public Editors of The New York Times, Sullivan signed on for four years.^[6]

In December 2015, Sullivan announced that she would not be renewing her contract with the The Times. Sullivan stated that "The role really requires an outsider's perspective, so I've thought all along that having a clear time limit serves The Times and its readers best."^[7]

Washington Post

In February 2016, it was announced that when Sullivan leaves The Times, she will be joining The Washington Post as its media columnist.^[8] Arthur Sulzberger Jr., The Times’s publisher praised Sullivan in a memo to staff stating that she had “ushered the position into a new age.”

See also

• Public editor
• The New York Times
• The Buffalo News

References

1. http://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2014/09/07/margaret-sullivan-by-the-book/?_r=0
2. Pompeo, Joe. "‘New York Times’ names new public editor". capitalnewyork.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
3. "About The Public Editor". publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
4. "About The Public Editor". publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
5. Pompeo, Joe. "‘New York Times’ names new public editor". capitalnewyork.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
6. Pompeo, Joe. "‘New York Times’ names new public editor". capitalnewyork.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
7. Mullin, Benjamin (December 19, 2015). "NYT Public Editor Margaret Sullivan will depart in 2016". Poynter. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
8. Ember, Sydney (February 22, 2016). "Margaret Sullivan, New York Times Public Editor, Joining Washington Post". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 February 2016.