The News
The New York Times is making major changes to its opinion section, rethinking the frequency and design of its editorials, the makeup of its editorial board, and its policy on endorsements. Opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury, deputy editor Patrick Healy, and publisher AG Sulzberger are contemplating having other editors in opinion getting more involved in the editorial board, and having fewer people on staff who solely write editorials. Publishing fewer, higher-quality editorials, the thesis goes, will lead to more audience attention.
The Times has also tasked editor Bill Brink and others, including its graphics team, with reimagining what a modern newspaper endorsement should look like. Having pulled back from local endorsements, the paper is now considering whether it should weigh in on more races across the country, including the Virginia governor’s race and the New Jersey governor’s race, as well as the New York mayoral primaries and potentially the general election.
The publication recently offered current writers on the editorial board — including Mara Gay, Brent Staples, Jesse Wegman and Farah Stockman — new jobs elsewhere in the opinion pages and the Times’ newsroom, or buyout packages if they want to leave.