Sustaining journalistic continuity in the face of change: Announcing a new editor at the New York Times

Abstract

An ample body of journalism studies research examines moments of disruption when a particular critical incident sparks widespread reflection about news and journalism. But we should not neglect how moments of orchestrated non-disruption perpetuate journalistic ideologies while stifling potential alternatives or deeper calls for change. This was the case when on April 19, 2022, the New York Times announced that managing editor Joseph Kahn would be taking over as executive editor from the retiring Dean Baquet. As an amiable and expected event, the Times promoted both a discourse of continuity surrounding journalistic norms and practices with a discourse of change focused on digital innovation and global audience growth. These discourses were challenged by critics who used the opportunity to lambaste the Times for insufficient news coverage of antidemocratic forces and a resistance to foundational introspection. This incident reveals how the Times sought to maintain its cultural authority and status as an elite journalistic institution while shaping normative expectations about journalism. It underscores the importance of attending to the interpretive power that privileged news organizations possess to speak about journalism at a time when many voices are contesting what news ought to look like.