The following announcement was sent out by The New York Times assistant managing editor Carolyn Ryan:
I’m pleased to announce that Ted Kim, who has made our journalism fellowship the gold standard in the industry, is being promoted to a new position of director of Early Career Journalism Strategy and Recruiting.
In this role, Ted will oversee all of our early career programs, build a more seamless pathway for students and up-and-coming journalists at The Times, and assist me in broader strategic efforts to build a more diverse newsroom staff.
Ted is a rare talent: an innovator and creative thinker who spotted almost immediately after taking over our summer internship program that we needed a deeper investment in early career talent, not just to benefit The Times, but also for the good of the entire industry. He proposed, won approval for and built The New York Times Fellowship, a yearlong program that features intensive training and feedback, and a writing coach, and has led young people to jobs at The Washington Post, Bloomberg News, The Los Angeles Times and in our own newsroom.
This year, 23 departments are working with 35 fellows. That class is 50 percent larger than last year, when the program debuted.
Diversity is a core value for Ted, who serves as co-chair of the Asian Network at The Times, and who previously served as national secretary of the Asian American Journalists Association. He is a generous mentor to young journalists, colleagues and students, and has traveled the country to increase geographic and economic diversity of our fellows.
Sharon Chan, our vice president of philanthropy, called Ted The Times’s “aquila,” referring to the standard that Roman military legions carried across the empire and beyond. “He represents our commitment to diversity, excellence and the next generation of journalism,’’ she said.
Ted has a deep journalism background, having worked in six newsrooms, covered three governors, and handled beats ranging from air travel to suburban growth. He came to The Times from The Washington Post, starting on the News Desk, before moving to Digital Transition and eventually taking over our internship program in late 2017. This year, when the pandemic hit, he jumped in and helped establish At Home, working alongside Sam Sifton.
“Ted has so many talents and is a natural problem solver,” Sam Sifton said. “He understands the newsroom, the journalism and how to make us better.”
A native of Lawrence, Mass., Ted graduated from Boston College and received his master’s in journalism from American University.
Please join me in congratulating Ted.
