Stephen Brown, the editor in chief of Poilitico Europe and a former news correspondent who reported from Europe and South America for Reuters for more than a quarter-century, died Thursday in Brussels. He was 57.
David Herszenhorn of Politico writes, “Brown led POLITICO’s European news operations from January 1, 2019 and oversaw its robust expansion to a staff of more than 100 journalists in Brussels, London, Paris and Berlin, as well as the launch this year of a French-language Playbook newsletter, newsletters dedicated to EU-China relations and transatlantic tech coverage, and a new podcast on U.K. politics, Westminster Insider.
“Brown’s death, from a heart attack, was announced to the staff during an emergency videoconference by the company’s chief executive officer, Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson. Speaking through tears, she described him as a tireless and boundlessly enthusiastic collaborator always eager to tackle their next project, and who was deeply committed to POLITICO’s journalism and to his family. She also expressed condolences on behalf of the entire company.
“Other colleagues on the call described him as ‘the man at the center’ and ‘the beating heart of the newsroom,’ who was fiercely protective of his editors and reporters, and a steadfast defender of their work. They also described his keen ability to cut through the swirl of news developments to spot the angle most worth pursuing, often saying curtly, “That’s the story, isn’t it?” Invariably, he’d already answered his own question.”
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