Top Editor At USA Today Exits

USA Today’s editor-in-chief Caren Bohan is out effective immediately, the second top editor to depart the Gannett-owned newspaper in less than two years, the company has announced.

Bohan, who was promoted to the top job in September 2024 after serving as interim editor since July, is leaving as Gannett executives say they want to rebalance the brand around news, entertainment, sports, and service content. No specific reason for her abrupt exit was given.

Bohan

In an internal memo, senior vice president Monica Richardson called Bohan a “valued colleague” and thanked her for her contributions. Bohan herself posted on X that she was “incredibly proud” of the team’s work on watchdog reporting and narrative storytelling.

Michael McCarter, the newspaper’s opinion editor, has been named interim editor-in-chief while a new permanent leader is sought.

Bohan’s 15-month run (including interim time) follows that of predecessor Terence Samuel, who lasted just one year before departing in July 2024. The rapid turnover comes as Gannett continues to grapple with financial pressures, digital-transition challenges, and industry-wide declines in print advertising revenue.

A 30-year journalism veteran, Bohan joined USA Today in 2018 as Washington editor after two decades at Reuters, where she covered the White House and served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2012. During her tenure she launched “The Backstory” narrative newsletter and emphasized audience-focused, engaging journalism.