NEW YORK, Jan. 4, 2022 —THE CITY, an independent, nonprofit newsroom dedicated to serving the people of New York, is delighted to announce the appointment of Richard Kim as editor in chief.
He joins the organization from HuffPost, where as executive editor he oversaw core editorial operations spanning enterprise reporting, breaking news, trends and politics. He was previously executive editor of The Nation magazine.
“Richard is the newsroom leader we need at a critical moment for New York,” said Executive Director Nic Dawes.
“There has never been a more urgent demand for robust accountability reporting, great service journalism, and deep community engagement to advance equity and a thriving, democratic, public square. THE CITY is a new kind of news institution committed to meeting this moment, and Richard brings remarkable vision, skills and experience to the task.”
“Study after study has shown that when local news disappears, the public checks out or turns to social media, where misinformation and conspiracy theories abound. Political polarization becomes even more extreme. Mistrust in government grows, and voters become more susceptible to manipulation,” said Kim. “That’s why THE CITY’s mission is so crucial, not just for New York and New Yorkers, but as part of a national movement to revive democracy by reviving local news.
“I am in awe of what the team at THE CITY has accomplished. In the last year alone, their groundbreaking reporting has made sure vaccines went to hard-hit local communities instead of out-of-town opportunists, spurred legislation to improve working conditions for essential delivery workers, exposed a scheme to deliver improper campaign donations and helped hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers make sense of a wild election,” said Kim. “I’m honored and humbled to lead this pioneering organization into its next chapter.”
In under two and a half years, THE CITY experienced tremendous growth, earning more than 50 local and national awards and recognitions, including honors from Editor & Publisher’s EPPY Awards, the Online News Association, the National LION Publishers Awards, RTDNA’s Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Society of Professional Journalists and the New York Press Club.
In addition, THE CITY is a collaborative journalism partner to news organizations that include ProPublica, WNYC/Gothamist, the Marshall Project, Chalkbeat, Documented and the Fuller Project.
Kim succeeds founding editor in chief Jere Hester, who will be returning to the Craig Newmark School of Journalism at CUNY.
“I want to congratulate Richard and THE CITY on this exciting news. Richard will be deeply missed here at HuffPost, having helped guide the newsroom over the past three years, and supporting me since I came on board in 2021. But the leadership of Richard at such an important organization will undoubtedly help enrich the local news ecosystem in New York City,” said Danielle Belton, Editor-in-Chief of HuffPost. “As a proponent of journalism, especially at the local level, I can’t wait to see what THE CITY does in the years to come.”
“THE CITY has built a foundation of great journalism and impact in its first two and a half years,” said Jamie Alter Lynton, chair of THE CITY’s board of directors. “We are thrilled that Richard will lead our newsroom as we embark on the next phase of our growth.”
Kim begins his role on Feb. 1.
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ABOUT THE CITY: THE CITY (thecity.nyc) is a nonprofit digital news platform whose mission is to produce free-to-read, local reporting that serves the people of New York City. Launched in 2019 to fill critical local reporting gaps, THE CITY covers New York’s uncovered neighborhoods, holds the powerful to account, and helps make sense of the greatest city in the world. THE CITY Scoop, its flagship newsletter, is delivered weekdays and Sunday, while additional newsletters serve New Yorkers with news they can use on housing, jobs and civic engagement.