Top Editor At Columbia Journalism Review Fired

Sewell Chan has been  fired as executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) eight months after starting on September 2024. 

The decision, announced by Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb, followed staff complaints about Chan’s behavior, specifically three “pointed interactions” involving editorial feedback. Chan described these as normal workplace exchanges rooted in editorial rigor: one addressing a potential conflict of interest, another urging a reporter to expedite a sensitive #MeToo investigation, and a third involving a staffer’s dismissal over in-office attendance and story quotas. 

Some reports suggest one interaction involved a staffer covering Gaza protests at Columbia, though this is unconfirmed by primary sources.

Chan called the firing “hasty, ill-considered, and baffling,” noting he offered to meet with staff and requested a coach to navigate the academic environment but was terminated instead. A Breaker Media report, cited in multiple outlets, portrayed Chan as an “absentee editor” with divisive leadership, quoting former CJR editor Ravi Somaiya alleging Chan displayed “rage” toward perceived inferiors and “obsequiousness” toward superiors. However, former Texas Tribune colleagues praised Chan as “caring and thoughtful,” and he emphasized his 25-year career without prior discipline.

The firing shocked some CJR board members, occurring just before a scheduled meeting and amid a fundraising campaign under tight budgetary constraints. Betsy Morais was named interim director. 

CJR, founded in 1961, is a respected media watchdog published by Columbia’s Journalism School, focusing on industry trends, ethics, and criticism. Chan’s exit comes at a challenging time for the outlet and journalism broadly, with declining trust and economic pressures.