NYTimes Welcomes Return Of Editor David Shipley

David Shipley

David Shipley, the former editorial page editor of The Washington Post, is returning to The New York Times as an editor at large, the Times announced Thursday.

Shipley, who previously worked at the Times from 1990 to 2010 in roles including Op-Ed editor and deputy editorial page editor, will focus on producing and editing high-impact editorial packages. This includes work on a major package commemorating the newspaper's upcoming 175th anniversary. 

He starts next week and will report to senior editors Monica Drake and Sam Dolnick, who described him as bringing "deep experience in long-form storytelling and institutional history" along with a "sharp eye and creative vision."

Shipley's move comes nearly a year after he left the Washington Post in February 2025. His departure followed owner Jeff Bezos's directive to refocus the Post's opinion section around the principles of "personal liberties and free markets," explicitly excluding viewpoints opposing those pillars. Bezos offered Shipley the chance to lead the revamped section, but Shipley declined after reflection, stating he wanted to continue in a profession committed to diverse, innovative commentary. 

The change contributed to staff departures, subscriber backlash, and criticism over narrowing ideological range—building on Bezos's earlier decision to end the Post's long tradition of presidential endorsements, including spiking a planned one for Kamala Harris in 2024.A veteran opinion journalist, Shipley also served as founding executive editor of Bloomberg View (later Bloomberg Opinion) from 2011 to 2022, where he oversaw its launch and growth. 

Earlier, he was executive editor of The New Republic and spent time in the Clinton administration as a senior presidential speechwriter. The Times highlighted his return as a homecoming, noting his reputation as a "principled, brilliant journalist" known for intellectual curiosity, fairness, and leadership.