NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2007--The New York Times
announced today the appointment of Clark Hoyt as public editor,
succeeding Byron Calame. A Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and news
executive with 38 years experience at Knight Ridder newspapers, Mr.
Hoyt begins his two-year assignment on May 14.
In making the announcement, Bill Keller, executive editor of The
New York Times, said, "High on the list of attributes we look for in
our public editors is the ability to stand up gracefully under fire.
In addition to a thick skin, the job calls for a clear head,
curiosity, patience and a deep respect for the values we profess --
impartiality, fairness, accuracy and independence. All of us who have
spent time with Clark Hoyt over the past couple of months believe he
has those qualities.
"We expect him to hold us accountable to our own standards," added
Mr. Keller, "to serve as an advocate for the interests of readers, and
to give readers an independent eye into the workings of this great
news organization."
Mr. Hoyt, 64, is the third public editor appointed by The Times.
The first was Daniel Okrent, named in 2003. The public editor works
outside of the reporting and editing structure of the newspaper and
receives and answers questions or comments from readers and the
public, principally about articles published in the paper.
Additionally, Mr. Hoyt will publish periodic commentaries about The
Times's journalistic practices and current journalistic issues in
general, to appear when he believes they are warranted. His column
will run in the Week in Review section. The public editor's e-mail
address, public@nytimes.com, is published regularly in The Times.
After starting his newspaper career in 1966 at The Ledger in
Lakeland, Fla., Mr. Hoyt began working for Knight Ridder at the
Detroit Free Press in 1968 as a general assignment reporter and then
political reporter. In 1970 he became Washington correspondent for The
Miami Herald and was later a national correspondent for Knight Ridder,
and then news editor of its Washington bureau.
He was named business editor of the Free Press and then managing
editor of the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle-Beacon from 1981-85, before
returning to Washington where he became bureau chief in 1987. He was
Knight Ridder's vice president/news from 1993-99. And from 1999 until
the sale of Knight Ridder, he was Washington editor, with
responsibility for the Washington bureau and the editorial operations
of Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. The Washington bureau
of Knight Ridder has received much praise in recent years for its
aggressive reporting and its journalists have won George Polk,
Overseas Press Club and Headliners Awards, among many others.
In 1973 Mr. Hoyt shared the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting
with Robert S. Boyd for their coverage of Democratic vice presidential
nominee Thomas Eagleton's history of treatment for severe depression.
In 2004 he received the John S. Knight Gold Medal, Knight Ridder's
highest employee award. He is a director of the foundation of the
American Society of Newspaper Editors and a former chairman of the
National Press Foundation. After the sale of Knight Ridder to The
McClatchy Co. on June 27, 2006, Mr. Hoyt became a newsroom consultant
to McClatchy to help with transition issues.
Mr. Hoyt is a graduate of Columbia College.
A photo of Mr. Hoyt is available at
www.nytco.com/press-photos.html
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT), a leading media company
with 2006 revenues of $3.3 billion, includes The New York Times, the
International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily
newspapers, nine network-affiliated television station, one New York
City radio station and 35 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com
and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by
creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information
and entertainment.
This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com and
www.nytco.com/community
CONTACT: The New York Times Company
Catherine Mathis, 212-556-1981
mathis@nytimes.com
or
Diane McNulty, 212-556-5244
mcnuldc@nytimes.com
SOURCE: The New York Times Company
