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GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com | 61 Styling by Sandra D, Makeup by Stephanie Gimson, Photography by David Har t managing editor? Several years ago there were three managing editors at the same time who shared oversight of the newsroom and one of those was a woman. I am the first woman to hold the sole title of managing editor at the Times. I was thrilled. It was a great feeling and a more important leadership role in this newspaper which I love and have loved all my life. I think I was a little surprised that some other members of the staff and former colleagues made a point of me being a woman in this role. ere were other women who spoke to me that it was great for them to see a woman in this position, which made me feel very honored. It wasn't something I thought a lot about. I've been fortunate for a long time to be trusted with positions of great responsibility. Did your position elevate the profile of women in newsrooms? I think that most of the people who spoke to me about that had not worked for a woman managing editor before so I think it was something that people were meant to see. ere aren't as many woman in top positions in newspapers as I would like to see, but at the Times, there are a number of women in top leadership positions. I have always felt supported and was promoted often, so I didn't feel I had to climb a big hill or fight a battle to get this job. You sound optimistic about the future of newspapers and journalism. Is that true? I am optimistic but I'm also not wearing rose colored glasses. Our industry has had a lot of difficulties. I don't think anyone has found a magic bullet that will resolve them tomorrow. What makes me optimistic is that if you look at how people are consuming information because of their phones and computers, it seems to me that people are consuming far more news now than they ever were in the past. To me that means you need talented journalists to provide it and I think there will always be a demand for what we do. What newspapers can offer is that we are the best – and often the only source – of local news in your community. What do you look for in the next generation of journalists? ere are two key things – one is very old school and the other is modern. You have to have passion for what you do. You have to believe in finding out the truth, getting people the news they need and telling it to them in a way that is engaging. We have some tremendous young journalists here now. I am so excited they are part of the company because they have that passion. ey get me excited! When you've been doing the same thing for a long time you sort of forget what it's like to be excited at the beginning of your career. How is the dynamic with your husband (Deputy Sports Editor Mike Stephenson), who also works at the Times? We met in college in journalism school. After several years of a long distance relationship at different papers after graduation, he was hired at the Times as well. We got married in 1994. For most of my career at the Times – or our career together at the Times —we have worked at different departments or different offices. We haven't overlapped much even though we're at the same workplace. We have many two-career journalism couples here – having a spouse in the same industry does make them more aware and understanding of the pressures you are under. Many days I'll have the deadlines and he'll take the kids to the doctor appointments. en the other days there's a giant sports story and we'll trade off. Obviously we want to be concerned about any kind of conflict, so the sports department reports to my boss – Editor Neil Brown – he does not report to me in any way. at was one of the things we discussed when I applied for the managing editor position. We openly discussed that I should not supervise sports, if my husband had a role in it. What are the challenges as a full-time newsroom manager and a working mom? My daughter, Sarah, is 16 years old and we have a 13-year-old son, Zachary. I think like every other working mother in America, it is hard to do two things as well as you would like to do them. I am very fortunate to have a really supportive husband and a really supportive employer. We're very fortunate to have a nanny who has been with us virtually all of our kids' lives and has been a great resource for us without family in town. Was there a sacrifice you made for this career? I think anybody who works in journalism sacrifices something. My life is very focused on two things – my family and my work. I am not a world traveler. I am not a gourmet cook. I am not a coin collector. I don't have cool hobbies because, I want to spend quality, important time with my family. When I am not with them, I am at my job. Do you have a personal motto that you impart to the newsroom staff ? I try hard to be collaborative and get input from people before making a decision. I have been told over the years that they appreciate that I am direct. People know where they stand with me. ey don't have to guess or wonder if I am happy with what they are doing. I've gotten more compliments and expressions of thanks than anything else.