Krissah Thompson has become the Washington Post’s first Black managing editor in the news publication’s history.
What We Know:
- Marty Baron, executive editor for The Washington Post, announced Thompson as the managing editor of diversity and inclusion. “This moment calls for the same kind of all-hands-on-deck commitment to diversity and inclusion that we throw at big stories,” Baron wrote in a staff memo. Baron also noted that Thompson will provide oversight of stories about diverse communities and initiate projects.
- Thompson is to also be in charge of making sure that there is a consistent process of inclusiveness and diversity with the Washington Post’s coverage regarding race, ethnicity, and identity. Also, improving the recruitment for journalists of color.
- Thompson started with The Washington Post as an intern and then worked as a financial writer after graduating from the University of Texas-Austin. A year later, she received her master’s in journalism at Merrill College.
- She has been the politics assignment editor for the style section for three years. She also worked as a style writer for 5 additional years. Not only has Thompson covered politics, but she also edited various stories, including stories about pop culture, race, and fashion.
- Thompson stated that her vision is to have the Washington Post as the most inclusive and diverse newsroom in the country. She believes that it is a place that recognizes talent and people feel supported there.
- Thompson also voiced her excitement for taking on this role via Twitter.
I’m so excited to get to work!! “A diverse staff makes our reporting better. We’re better when we have more perspectives and we can cover communities as deeply and widely as possible.”https://t.co/edsnVnc66b
— Krissah Thompson (@Krissah30) July 28, 2020
Just last month, The Washington Post announced that more than a dozen newsroom positions would have a focal point on race, including the managing editor for diversity and inclusion.
