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A bit buried in the unexpected announcement that the New York Times is ditching its first female executive editor, Jill Abramson, after less than three years, is that the man replacing her is also historic. Dean Baquet, 57, unexpectedly became the first African-American atop the paper's masthead today, calling it "an honor to be asked to lead the only newsroom in the country that is actually better than it was a generation ago."
"There is no journalist in our newsroom or elsewhere better qualified to take on the responsibilities of executive editor at this time than Dean Baquet," said Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. "He is an exceptional reporter and editor with impeccable news judgment who enjoys the confidence and support of his colleagues around the world and across the organization." From New Orleans to New York, Chicago, L.A., and back, here's his story so far.
Baquet's roots are in Louisiana. The second youngest of five boys, Baquet grew up in his family's restaurants. His father was a postal worker before he sold the family's house to start Eddie's Restaurant, with the brood living in the back rooms. Later, the Baquets would own the creole spot Li'l Dizzy's in the historic Treme neighborhood.
His first plane ride was at 18, when he left to attend college. He later dropped out. In 2005, The New Yorker's Ken Auletta reported, "The first time Baquet traveled outside Louisiana was when he went North to attend Columbia University." He majored in English literature, but not for long. "After his sophomore year, he got a summer internship at the States-Item, an afternoon paper in New Orleans — an experience he liked so much that he dropped out of Columbia."
Read the full story: www.nymag.com
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