New York Times expands its live news staff

The New York Times on Friday said it has added several journalists to its live news team, in “an effort to reinvent breaking news.”

Senior editor for digital storytelling Melissa Hoppert, who has an extensive sports reporting background, including covering three Super Bowls, is now deputy live editor.

Also joining the live team as senior live editors are Washington bureau editor Mikayla Bouchard, express news features editor Dagny Salas, floating senior staff editor Ron DePasquale and briefings editor Andrea Kannapell.

Reporters on the team include Glenn Thrush, in a dual role for the live team and the Washington bureau, political reporter Maggie Astor and metro desk reporter Jim McKinley as an editor and correspondent.

Earlier in the week, the Times announced three other additions to the live team: former Los Angeles Times reporter Shashank Bengali as a senior editor and correspondent; former Wall Street Journal editor Andrés Rafael Martínez as an editor and correspondent; and Traci Carl, previously at The Associated Press, as a deputy live editor.

The week’s announcements are the latest in several personnel moves at the Times this year. In late February, the newspaper unveiled its new White House team, most notably moving Maggie Haberman, known for her coverage of former President Trump, to the paper’s investigative/enterprise team in the Washington bureau.

However, the Times has also dealt with its share of controversy surrounding personnel decisions this year. In February, two journalists — audio producer Andy Mills and science reporter Donald McNeil — were forced to resign over past behavior.

Mills was accused of inappropriate behavior toward women in a previous job and was also involved in producing the “Caliphate” podcast, which the Times and others reported as having significant factual errors.

McNeil was accused of making inappropriate comments about race and using a racial slur while acting as a guide on a Times-sponsored 2019 student trip.

Separately, on Feb. 24, the Times released a scathing diversity report and plan that found the paper was “unwelcoming place for many people,” especially minorities.

And on Wednesday, BuzzFeed News reported that Times columnist David Brooks had not disclosed to readers he was getting a salary from the Aspen Institute for an initiative he co-founded at the think tank and that was funded by wealthy donors and companies including Facebook. Brooks has written about Facebook, its various products and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in his columns.