Deputy editor Pui-Wing Tam and economics editor Deborah Solomon are leading candidates to replace Ellen Pollock at the NYT business desk. The search remains open, sources said.
Alpha Score of 42 reflects weak overall profile with weak momentum, poor value, moderate quality, weak sentiment.
The New York Times is hunting for its next business editor. Sources described the search as “wide open” even as current editor Ellen Pollock prepares to step down next month.
The Gray Lady has been scrambling to find a replacement since announcing Pollock’s move last month, people familiar with the process said. Deputy business editor Pui-Wing Tam, who has spent 11 years at the paper and helped lead its tech coverage, is a leading candidate. “Pui-Wing Tam is Ellen’s heir apparent,” one source said.
Tam is by no means a lock. The source noted that personal issues could keep her from relocating from San Francisco to New York for the top role. Times executive editor Joe Kahn “hasn’t made a decision yet,” a person with knowledge of the matter said. “It sounds wide open.”
Another contender is Deborah Solomon, a Washington-based economics editor known for aggressive reporting. “Deb is pushing for it, she’s intense,” the source said, while acknowledging her track record as a financial journalist.
The job listing, posted last week, calls for a journalist with more than 10 years of editing experience to oversee reporters covering everything from media and tech to the global economy and the power brokers who run business. The salary range is $240,000 to $285,000.
One Times insider described the business section as “sprawling” but not the most prestigious within the paper. “It’s a sprawling section but not the most loved by the paper,” the insider said, comparing it to investigative teams.
Pollock had denied retirement rumors in March, telling Breaker at the time, “I am not retiring right now, I’m not going to die at my desk.” Last month, the Times announced she would take on a new role. “Ellen will step down as business editor in September, happily she is not stepping away from The Times and will be putting her editing and reporting skills to good use,” the paper said. A Times source said such “cushy” assignments are common for senior journalists easing into retirement.
NYT’s Alpha Score sits at 42, reflecting mixed sentiment on the stock as the leadership transition unfolds. A spokesman for the Times declined to comment.
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