Joseph F. Kahn has been named the new executive editor of The New York Times, the paper’s publisher A.G. Sulzberger announced on Tuesday.
Previously a managing editor, Kahn will succeed Dean Baquet when his eight-year tenure concludes in June. Baquet, 65, is stepping down at the traditional age for the top-ranking editor at the paper.
“For many people, especially those who have worked alongside Joe — a brilliant journalist and a brave and principled leader — this announcement will come as no surprise,” Sulzberger wrote in a memo to the staff of the Times. “Joe brings impeccable news judgment, a sophisticated understanding of the forces shaping the world and a long track record of helping journalists produce their most ambitious and courageous work.”
Since joining the Times in 1998, Kahn has served in numerous roles, including as the paper’s Beijing bureau chief, international editor and as a reporter in the paper’s Washington bureau. His first position on the masthead was as assistant editor for the international desk, before he took on the role of managing editor in September 2016. He was previously the Times’ No. 2 ranking editor.
Kahn will step into a role that has seen Baquet at the center of both praise and controversy, as the paper navigates the balance of its traditional values with the changing world of news and media. As the Times’ first Black executive editor, Baquet helmed the paper through 18 Pulitzer Prize wins. Baquet helped to oversee multiple groundbreaking investigations, including the Times’ reporting on the sexual misconduct of Harvey Weinstein. He also saw the paper’s subscription base grow 10 times to more than 10 million, the Times reported.
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Baquet was also the subject of much criticism, most recently for his approach to the paper’s social media policies and the newsroom’s diversity. The Times’ 2018 podcast “Caliphate” was found to have reported false and exaggerated information, and the paper’s top science reporter, Donald McNeil, left in 2021 after it came to light that he used a racist slur while speaking with a group of high school students on a Times-sponsored trip.
Kahn will step into his new role on June 14. Baquet will remain at the Times, but it was not immediately clear what his next role will be.
“Joe is planning to send a note later this week sharing some early details about his senior leadership team, which reflects the unbelievable depth of talent we’re lucky to have guiding our newsroom,” Sulzberger wrote in his memo. “One of the clearest signs of the health of a news organization is its ability to develop great editors and one of Dean’s great legacies is the caliber of leaders he’s groomed to steer the newsroom through its next chapter.”
