Sewell Chan

Last updated
Sewell Chan
SXSW-2024-alih-OB7A0147-Sewell Chan (cropped).jpg
Chan in 2024
BornAugust 29, 1977 (1977-08-29) (age 47)
Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Alma mater Hunter College High School
Harvard University (BA)
Oxford University (MPhil)
Notable credit(s) Los Angeles Times (2018–2021)
The New York Times
(2004–2018)
The Washington Post (2000–2004)

Sewell Chan is an American journalist based in New York City who is the current executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review . He had previously been the editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune from 2021 to 2024. Prior to that, Chan held positions at the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2021, The New York Times from 2004 to 2018, and The Washington Post from 2000 to 2004.

Contents

Early life and education

Chan, the son of immigrants from China and Hong Kong, grew up in Flushing, Queens and attended New York City public schools and Hunter College High School, [1] where he was the co-editor of the school's independent newspaper, The Observer. [2] His father was a taxi cab driver. He graduated from Harvard University with an AB in Social Studies in 1998 and received a Marshall Scholarship for graduate study at Oxford University. [3] He received his MPhil in Politics in 2000.

Career

From 2000 to 2004, Chan wrote for The Washington Post , where he covered municipal politics, poverty and social services, and education. [4]

Chan moved to The New York Times in 2004. [5] In January 2010, Chan joined The Times's Washington bureau as a correspondent covering economic policy. [6] In February 2011, Chan was named a deputy editor of the Times Op-Ed page and Sunday Review section. [7] From 2015 to 2018, Chan was an International News Editor at The New York Times. [8] [9]

In August 2018, the Los Angeles Times named Chan a deputy managing editor to "supervise a team of journalists responsible for initiating coverage and developing content for its digital, video and print platforms." [10]

In April 2020, Chan was promoted to an editorial page editor, in charge of overseeing the editorial and op-ed pages. [11] He was the lead author of a 2020 editorial examining the Los Angeles Times' fraught history with communities of color and journalists of color and apologizing for the newspaper's history of racism. [12] [13] After Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Chan faced criticism for publishing a full page of letters devoted to Californians who had voted for Trump. [14]

Chan was named The Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief effective October 2021. [12] [15]

In 2024, Chan served as a judge for that year's American Mosaic Journalism Prize. [16] In June, he was appointed to be the executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review , effective September 16. [17] [18]

See also

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References

  1. "Sewell Chan – Queens". Your Hometown. December 2, 2021.
  2. "Changing of the Guard at City Room". The New York Times . January 8, 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
  3. "Son of Cab Driver Is Among 40 To Win Marshall Scholarships". The New York Times . December 12, 1997. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
  4. "National Press Foundation". National Press Foundation.
  5. Sherman, Gabriel (June 25, 2006). "Byline Beast of N.Y.: Times' Sewell Chan Racks Up 422 in Year". The New York Observer . Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  6. Calderone, Michael (January 8, 2010). "NYT's Chan heads to D.C.; joins economics team". The Politico . Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  7. Romenesko, Jim (February 18, 2011). "Chan Named NYT Deputy Op-Ed Editor". Poynter Institute . Retrieved 2011-05-16.
  8. "Crossing the Atlantic". The New York Times Company. June 8, 2015.
  9. "A New Role for Sewell Chan". The New York Times Company. August 10, 2017.
  10. "Los Angeles Times Names Sewell Chan a Deputy Managing Editor". Los Angeles Times. August 20, 2018.
  11. "Times announces promotions, new roles among newsroom management team". Los Angeles Times. April 1, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Evan (August 5, 2021). "T-Squared: Sewell Chan is The Texas Tribune's next editor-in-chief". The Texas Tribune.
  13. "Editorial: An examination of The Times' failures on race, our apology and a path forward". Los Angeles Times. September 27, 2020.
  14. "Why should Trump supporters get media coverage that other groups of voters don't?". NiemanLab. November 20, 2020.
  15. Robertson, Katie (August 5, 2021). "Sewell Chan of Los Angeles Times Will Lead Texas Tribune Newsroom". The New York Times.
  16. "Judges". Heising-Simons Foundation. 2024-02-07. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
  17. Robertson, Katie (June 27, 2024). "Sewell Chan Named Editor of Columbia Journalism Review". The New York Times .
  18. "Sewell Chan appointed executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2024-09-26.