Dean Baquet, former executive editor of The New York Times, in 2018. (AP Photo/Ted Anthony)

After retiring last year as executive editor of The New York Times, Dean Baquet took about a month off, then he started visiting local newsrooms. It wasn’t a nostalgia tour, and it wasn’t a victory lap for the journalist who worked in local newsrooms in New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles. 

Baquet was reporting. 

He’s now the executive editor of the Times’ Local Investigations Fellowship, and in that role, wanted to see for himself what life looks like for local journalists, newsrooms and the communities they cover.

Baquet visited The Baltimore Banner, where he was asked to attend an all-hands meeting and then stick around and talk with reporters. 

“So I spent this wonderful day having one-on-one meetings with beat reporters, not pitching them on the project, just talking to them about covering their beats because that’s what I did 100 years ago.”

SciLine: Connect with scientist-sources, on deadline.

Editorially independent, nonpartisan, and funded entirely by philanthropies, SciLine has one mission: to enhance the amount and quality of scientific evidence in news stories.

Our expert-matching service connects journalists to scientist-sources on deadline. Unlike other "expert finder" services, universities don't pay to play; we independently identify and confirm the availability of scientists with the right expertise and communication skills for your story. We're here to help — fast and free.

Sign up

I spoke with Baquet about the fellowship, the kinds of pitches he’s getting and who else he’d like to see apply. Whatever size newsroom you’re in, whatever your beat, if you’re freelance, whatever, don’t discount yourself with this fellowship. In addition to being on the Times’ payroll for a year, you also get to use all of its resources.

As Baquet said, fellows become “a member of The New York Times family, so you can use The New York Times’ stuff.”

You can read our conversation here and learn even more about that program here.

That’s it for me. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week,

Kristen