Audrey Cooper | |
---|---|
Born | 1977 (age 44–45) |
Alma mater | Boston University (BA) |
Occupation | Journalist |
Known for | First woman editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Chronicle |
Audrey Cooper (born 1977) is an American journalist. Hearst Corporation named her as Editor in Chief of the San Francisco Chronicle on January 13, 2015, making her the first woman to hold this position.[1][2]
Before Cooper's appointment, there were only two women Editors in Chief working at America's top 25 circulation daily newspapers, Newsday's Debbie Henley and Nancy Barnes of the Houston Chronicle.[3]
Cooper was born in Topeka, Kansas and grew up in the Kansas City, Kansas area.[4] She graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Journalism and Political Science from Boston University in 1999. She worked as a journalist at the Tri-Valley Herald, the Associated Press, and the Stockton Record, all in Northern California.[2] She joined the Chronicle in 2006 as an assistant metro editor, rising to replace Stephen Proctor as managing editor in May 2013.[5]
She left the Chronicle effective June 20, 2020.[4]
She was named Editor-in-Chief at WNYC Public Radio effective July 20, 2020.[6] As suggested by Tanzina Vega's departure,[7] Cooper has an unorthodox approach to managing what has been a tight-knit community venue. According to The New York Times, her appointment caused a "newsroom revolt" at WNYC by reporters who had requested a person of color be promoted to the position but instead got Cooper, "a white woman who lived in California [and] grew up in Kansas".[8]. Cooper's dismissal of Fred Mogul, a longterm veteran staple of WNYC reporting, for what most of his colleagues believed to be Cooper's misunderstanding of news processing protocols, [9] suggests that Cooper was merely looking for an excuse and is possibly the best example of Cooper's agenda of emphasizing diversity before actual talent. Cooper's response appeared to be retaliatory after the publishing of the Times' article further revealing Cooper's managerial tendencies. [10]
References
- ^ "First Time Woman Named Editor In Chief Of SF Chronicle". ABC 7 News (KTO). 13 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b Rubenstein, Steve (13 January 2015). "Audrey Cooper named editor in chief of The Chronicle". SFGate. SF Chronicle. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ O'Connor, Lydia (13 January 2015). "San Francisco Chronicle Names First Female Editor In Chief". Huffington Post. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b Thomas, Owen (June 1, 2020). "Editor in Chief Audrey Cooper to leave San Francisco Chronicle". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ Yang, Nu (6 September 2013). 10 Women to Watch, Editor & Publisher
- ^ "WNYC Names Audrey Cooper Editor in Chief". 11 June 2020.
- ^ Tani, Maxwell (July 15, 2021). "WNYC 'The Takeaway' Host Tanzina Vega Leaves Amid Internal Tensions". TheDaily Beast. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Bellafante, Ginia (July 3, 2020). "WNYC Employees Demanded Diversity. They Got Another White Boss". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2020..
- ^ Montgomery, Blake (June 16, 2021). "Ex-WNYC Reporter Sues Station Over Firing for Plagiarism". TheDaily Beast. Retrieved August 3, 2021.,
- ^ Tani, Maxwell (July 15, 2021). "WNYC Staffers Terrified of Editor-in-Chief's 'Vendettas". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 3, 2021..