WNYC has announced that it has hired Jim Schachter, associate managing editor at The New York Times, to fill a new role of vice president for news. “He will work closely with WNYC’s news and digital teams on the further integration of WNYC’s broadcast and digital content,” WNYC says in a news release.
One of Schachter’s responsibilities at the Times was overseeing its content partnerships with a few local nonprofit news organizations around the country. WNYC’s Dean Cappello, senior VP for programming and chief content officer, said in the news release:
Jim is the ideal candidate for this newly created role … He has worked at nearly every editorial job, from reporter to editor to creator of collaborations. He has been a prominent part of The New York Times as it’s made a remarkable transition into the world of online journalism. And he has had long experience with public media as he led conversations about new partnerships between The New York Times and other news providers, including WNYC. We’re thrilled to have him aboard.
The release:
WNYC Names Jim Schachter Vice President, News
New York Times Associate Managing Editor to Lead National and Local News Efforts at Nation’s Most-Listened-To Public Radio Station
(New York, NY – June 22, 2012) — WNYC announced today that Jim Schachter, Associate Managing Editor at The New York Times, has been appointed Vice President for News at WNYC Radio. He will officially begin on Monday, July 9.
In this newly created role, Schachter will be responsible for leading WNYC’s award-winning news brand. He will oversee its strategic vision and planning, as well as editorial decisions related to production and operations. He will work closely with WNYC’s news and digital teams on the further integration of WNYC’s broadcast and digital content.
Schachter will have editorial oversight of WNYC’s local and national radio and digital news properties, including the WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio local news teams, WNYC’s newly launched data news unit, the political site It’s a Free Country, and WNYC-produced news shows including the Peabody Award winning programs The Brian Lehrer Show, Radio Rookies, and On the Media. Additionally, he will guide the deepening of WNYC’s commitment to enterprise journalism. Schachter will report to Dean Cappello, Senior Vice President, Programming and Chief Content Officer, WNYC.
“We are thrilled that Jim is bringing his extraordinary editorial skills and track record of success to public radio,” said Laura Walker, President and CEO, New York Public Radio, which includes WNYC. “He has a vibrant vision, an appetite for innovation, and a keen understanding of engaging audiences. This will bolster our ambitious plans to grow our news content and increase our reporting capacity across all platforms. We’re delighted that he is joining us at a moment when the need for serious journalism has never been more urgent.”
“Jim is the ideal candidate for this newly created role,” said Cappello. “He has worked at nearly every editorial job, from reporter to editor to creator of collaborations. He has been a prominent part of The New York Times as it’s made a remarkable transition into the world of online journalism. And he has had long experience with public media as he led conversations about new partnerships between The New York Times and other news providers, including WNYC. We’re thrilled to have him aboard.”
“WNYC’s talented staff, enterprising spirit and public-service mission make it an incredibly appealing place to practice high-impact journalism,” Schachter said. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to join an institution that I have long admired, and humbled to be leading a newsroom that has such deep respect for the intelligence and engagement of its audience.”
During his 17 year tenure at the The Times, Schachter has held senior editorial positions in both hard news and feature sections, including deputy editor of the business and culture news departments and of The New York Times Magazine. He directs a range of projects aimed at expanding The Times’s footprint online, in print and in the education sector. In the last year, he launched India Ink, the first Times website aimed at a national audience outside the United States, and SchoolBook, a collaboration with WNYC designed to empower families to make the most of New York’s complex school-choice system. He initiated the first Times ebook; led development of NYTimes.com’s “second screen” Oscars-night viewing companion; oversaw the relaunch of The Times’s online business report; and introduced local news pages in copies of The Times sold in the Bay Area, Chicago and Texas, forging innovative collaborations with non-profit news start-ups. He also initiated a pilot project, The Local, that operates hyperlocal Web sites teaming professional journalists, journalism schools and local residents to cover the news of everyday life in New York neighborhoods. Prior to joining the Times, Schachter held reporter and editor roles at the Los Angeles Times, the Kansas City Star, and the Jacksonville Journal.
