FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, August 20, 2018
PRESS CONTACT: Dillon Lewis
press@nlgja.org or 202-588-9888
WASHINGTON, DC – Today NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists announces that The New York Times Assistant Managing Editor Carolyn Ryan is the inaugural recipient of the new NLGJA Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals who have made a positive impact on their newsrooms by increasing diversity and improving coverage of the LGBTQ community. The recipients of the award may not necessarily be active journalists themselves, but have nonetheless used their work to improve the news industry and the journalism profession.
“Since she worked in Boston and now at The New York Times, Carolyn has continued to make strategic hiring decisions that bring true diversity to the newsroom, landing some of the best people in the business,” said NLGJA President Jen Christensen. “She’s a leader who has spearheaded some of the most impactful coverage of the election, is a mentor to many and is a personal hero of mine. I’m thrilled that NLGJA will be giving this inaugural Leadership Award to Carolyn Ryan.”
Ryan is the assistant managing editor at The New York Times. In this position she oversees the recruiting of journalists to The Times. Before she was named senior editor for politics in September 2015, Ryan oversaw coverage of Washington as politics editor and Washington bureau chief. Ryan has also served as the newspaper’s metro editor and helped run its Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the fall of Eliot Spitzer, then the governor of New York. She was named metro editor of the Times in 2011. Before joining The New York Times, Ryan was deputy managing editor for local news at The Boston Globe. There, she led the Globe’s coverage of powerful stories, including the Democratic National Convention in 2004, the legalization of same-sex marriage and the closing of Catholic churches in the Archdiocese of Boston. In her role at The Globe, she worked to recruit journalists with diverse voices. Ryan began her journalism career at the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA.
The NLGJA Leadership Award is made possible through the generosity and support of Randy Lovely and the Gannett Foundation.
“I’ve been fortunate to work with strong leaders and mentors throughout my career,” said Lovely, “so I wanted to help foster and recognize leaders within our LGBTQIA journalism community. I hope this annual award will shine the spotlight on those whose work can serve as inspiration for up-and-coming gay journalists.”
Ryan will receive the NLGJA Leadership Award at the 2018 NLGJA National Convention in Palm Springs, September 6-9 at the Hotel Zoso. Learn more at www.nlgja.org/2018.
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About NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.