Stephen Brown, senior editor for New York accountability at WNYC/Gothamist, sent out the following on Thursday:
I’m excited to announce that Robert Barba is joining the newsroom as an editor on the accountability team, overseeing state issues and politics.
Many of you have already worked with Robert, who has distinguished himself on the day-of team with his sharp news judgement and deft line edits.
Prior to joining WNYC and Gothamist, Robert spent seven years at The Wall Street Journal in various editor roles. He helped oversee news coverage of the Columbia University protests, the manhunt for Luigi Mangione, the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on New Orleans, and the January aircraft collision over Washington D.C. Robert was also part of the team that produced the Journal’s comprehensive look at the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in explanatory reporting in 2022.
Prior to joining the Journal, he covered banking and fintech for Bankrate and American Banker.
Robert is the vice president of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and is a lifetime member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder.
Albany-based reporters Jimmy Vielkind and Jon Campbell will report to Robert, as they focus on next year’s high-profile governor’s race and double down on the important New York Public News Network (NYPNN) initiative that fosters collaboration between stations across the state. Robert will continue editing Rosemary Misdary as she covers the existential climate issues that are often driven by state policy.
Robert starts in his new role next week.
