Peter Bhatia, formerly editor of the Portland (Oregon) Oregonian and current director of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism, will be editor and vice president of audience engagement at Enquirer Media, which publishes The Cincinnati Enquirer.
The Cincinnati Enquirer among the largest dailies owned by Gannett, a print-centric company that recently spun off from its broadcast-focused parent, TEGNA. Since it was separated from TEGNA, Gannett has embarked on a rebranding under the slogan “New Gannett,” a motto that emphasizes the company’s digital efforts.
John Zidich, president of Gannett Domestic Publishing, emphasized Gannett’s digital aspirations in a statement provided to the Enquirer.
Peter brings a wealth of skills, values, experiences and an invigorated commitment to all-platform, high-quality journalism to The Enquirer. He’s an experienced, award-winning journalist who is a hands-on leader and coach. I know he is eager to join New Gannett and help steer us to new heights.
Bhatia’s predecessor, Carolyn Washburn, left the Enquirer newsroom after a turbulent turn at the helm. During her tenure, more than a dozen staffers left the paper amid a reorganization masterminded by Gannett. Among the departing staffers was Managing Editor Laura Trujillo, a masthead presence who was Washburn’s deputy. Washburn also made media headlines for a pointed memo advising staffers that readers were complaining in droves about typos in the newspaper.
Bhatia is himself no stranger to corporate reorganizations of major dailies. His final year at the helm of The Oregonian coincided with a digital remaking of the newspaper by Advance, which has resulted in several big changes for the paper: A new newsroom, a new editor and the pending sale of its printing facility.
In a statement to the Enquirer, Bhatia affirmed his commitment to watchdog reporting.
I believe strongly in The Enquirer’s responsibility to be a watchdog for the Greater Cincinnati region. That will inform our work and guide our efforts.”
In the past, Bhatia has led newsrooms to publish prize-winning journalism; papers he has captained have won nine Pulitzer Prizes, per his ASU bio.
