Times Union taps Lyons as ME for enterprise and investigations

Veteran journalist Brendan J. Lyons who has covered numerous topics, ranging from police misconduct to ethical misdeeds at the state Capitol, has been appointed the Albany Times Union’s managing editor for enterprise and investigations.

Lyons will manage investigative projects across the newsroom while continuing to direct the work of the paper’s Capitol reporters and develop a training curriculum for investigative work. He will also be developing investigative projects with other Hearst papers.

Additionally, Lyons will oversee the work of a new position at the paper — the two-year Joseph T. Lyons Fellowship. The fellowship will cater to an early-career reporter with a special mission to create investigative journalism covering overlooked communities.

Lyons has been a Times Union reporter since 1998 and was recently honored with the Michael Hendricks Journalist of the Year Award from the state Associated Press.

Lyons will be joined by Gary Hahn, managing editor for features, sports and special publications; Susan Mehalick, managing editor for news; and Erica Smith, the Times Union’s digital managing editor in the newsroom.