Former Columbia Journalism Review Editor Defends “Pointed Interactions” With Staff After Firing

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The ex-chief editor of the Columbia Journalism Review is justifying his dealings with staff, following claims that such interactions led to his dismissal from the publication due to complaints lodged by subordinates.

Shortly following the announcement that Sewell Chan was no longer heading the well-known magazine famed for its investigative journalism of the press, he shared a detailed explanation on various social media outlets expressing his viewpoint that the decision was “rash, poorly thought out, and to be honest, puzzling.

Chan claims his dismissal occurred only a few days following his discovery of staff complaints, which originated from ‘sharp exchanges where I delivered constructive criticism based on editorial precision.’ He attempted to resolve the issue by proposing meetings with dissatisfied staff and requesting a mentor to guide him in navigating a tense academic setting. However, instead of these actions being supported, he was terminated.

Chan outlined three instances that led to the complaints. These included a perceived conflict of interest, a tight deadline for a journalist on a confidential piece, an employee’s dismissal related to office attendance, and a story production target. Chan characterized these situations as routine workplace interactions, emphasizing his role in ensuring thorough, impartial, and cautious editorial supervision while boosting the pace and influence of a publication tasked with media scrutiny.

It was announced today that Chan, an experienced journalist who previously headed the Texas Tribune and supervised the editorial team at the Los Angeles Times, is no longer with the magazine as of Friday. According to Jeremy Barr, a reporter for The Washington Post covering media, in an email to staff, Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism dean Jelani Cobb stated that the magazine would continue uninterrupted under interim editor Betsy Morais. Cobb, who is also a writer for The New Yorker, expressed his gratitude to the staff of CJR for their resilience and commitment.

I’ve attempted to reach out to the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, the publishers of The Hollywood Reporter, for a response.

anger towards those he perceived as inferior and fawning admiration for those he regarded as superior,” wrote Somaiya), another ex-colleague from Texas Tribune described Chan as “compassionate” and “thoughtful.” Another former colleague reminisced about their office interactions with Chan, stating that they were “friendly” and helped them become a better journalist.

Following the latest dispute between the White House and Columbia University, Senator Ted Cruz from the Republican party commented on the matter on Friday. He described it as a possible “example” of why such a large university, which recently complied with several administration requests as its federal funding was at risk, seems to be so far away from its intended path. On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he inquired, “Is there more information or another perspective to consider here?

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2025-04-19 04:24