The New York Times today announced that senior editor Lorne Manly will lead a new program to recruit, edit and publish criticism from writers from underrepresented backgrounds who have little to no experience contributing to the Culture section of The Times. The one-year program, funded by Critical Minded, aims to build rapport between Times editors and new voices in cultural criticism so that those critics are called on more regularly to contribute to national publications.
“I’m truly excited about the opportunity to help rising critics develop their voices and flourish in their writing for a global audience,” said Manly.
In his more than 20 years at The Times, Manly has served in a variety of roles. Most recently, he was a senior editor for special projects, where he edited reviews and essays by Times critics and shepherded cross-desk collaborations. Among his many previous positions, Lorne has been a deputy Culture editor, and a film, TV and video games editor.
Critical Minded, a fiscally sponsored project of Allied Media Projects, is a grantmaking and learning initiative that supports cultural critics of color in the United States.