Jill Abramson Out as New York Times Editor

Posted on May 14, 2014

Jill Abramson has been ousted as editor of The New York Times. She has held the position since September 2011. She first joined the company in 1997. Dean Baquet, the managing editor, will replace her. Bloomberg reports that Abramson's firing came as a shock to those in the newsroom. In an article, the Times says publisher Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr. was concerned with her management style.

Jane Mayer, a journalist at The New Yorker, told the Times, "I know that Jill cares passionately about great journalism and The New York Times. She works incredibly hard, holds everyone including herself to the highest standards, and is a forceful and fearless advocate. Not everyone is going to like that, but it's what makes her one of the most talented journalists of our times."

A New Yorker story by Ken Auletta says at least part of the path that led to Abramson's firing may have involved her confronting executives at the New York Times Company about why her pay was less than her male predecessor. A Forbes article also discusses Abramson getting fired because she was questioning execs about her pay. The article also says she may have been fired for being "pushy." Being pushy is certainly not unheard of or unexpected in the news business.

NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik says in a tweet that he has confirmed Abramson did challenge corporate brass over what she thought was unequal pay.