New York Times launches ‘Newsroom Culture and Careers department’

The New York Times announced on Wednesday it is opening a Newsroom Culture and Careers Department following the publication of an internal report earlier this year that found the organization to be an unwelcoming environment for some employees. 

Deputy managing editor Carolyn Ryan said in a message to colleagues that the newspaper has “set the standard for the industry in so many areas” and “will now lead in creating a nurturing, enriching and equitable environment for our staff to do its best work.”

“Our central aim is to demystify how people thrive and get ahead at The Times, and help more people do so. That’s why today we are announcing the creation of our Newsroom Culture and Careers department, and the appointment of an extraordinary group of leaders to oversee it with me,” Ryan said. “We believe newsroom staffers should not have to struggle to get career advice and guidance, build new skills or gain new experiences.” 

The sweeping report, commissioned internally and conducted over eight months, was published in February and found the Times to sometimes be a “difficult environment,” especially as experienced by “people of color, many of whom described unsettling and sometimes painful day-to-day workplace experiences.”

“You need two kinds of mentors at The Times,’” the report stated. “One for career growth, then another to navigate. I don’t know of another company that needs the second one quite so much.’”

The report followed the departure of two senior journalists at the Times, audio producer Andy Mills and science reporter Donald McNeil, who left after being the focus of complaints by employees at the Times. 

The new department will be headed up by six newsroom leaders, five women and one man, who will “work in close partnership with our colleagues in Human Resources,” Ryan said. 

“Our mission is to create the most effective, accessible and well-utilized career and culture department in the industry,” she added.