Ex-Reuters EIC Adler brings more than 30 years of editorial leadership to The Markup’s rapidly growing newsroom
NEW YORK, APRIL 13, 2022 — The Markup, a mission-driven media organization investigating how technology is reshaping society, has named Stephen J. Adler as interim editor-in-chief.
Julia Angwin, The Markup’s founder and former editor-in-chief, transitions into a new role as founder and editor-at-large, as well as advisor to the Board of Directors. She will focus on writing and speaking about privacy, the threats to our democracy enabled by technology and the innovative journalistic techniques The Markup has pioneered for tech accountability.
With decades of newsroom managerial experience — most notably as editor-in-chief at Reuters — Adler will assume interim editorial leadership and operational oversight for all functions of The Markup’s newsroom. His aim is to continue and to build on The Markup’s high-quality, ambitious and influential work.
“The mission of The Markup is both substantive and urgent, so I’m thrilled to step in to guide this world-class newsroom of inspiring and respected journalists,” said Adler.
Adler is a veteran journalist who spent the last decade as the editor-in-chief at Reuters, the world’s largest international news provider, where he successfully led more than 2,500 journalists in 200 locations around the world. Under his leadership, Reuters has received hundreds of journalism awards, including eight Pulitzer Prizes and eight Pulitzer finalists. Personally, Adler has worked tirelessly to secure freedom for journalists in custody or under threat, and currently serves as the chairman of Columbia Journalism Review’s board of overseers, chairman of the board of Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and a member of the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Previously he has served as editor in chief of BusinessWeek and deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, where he oversaw the legal and investigative reporting teams.
“Steve is a transformative leader with outstanding journalistic credentials, a compelling vision for the future of news and years of public-service journalism under his belt,” said David Boardman, board chair for The Markup and dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University in Philadelphia. “His support and guidance will be invaluable as we prioritize growth initiatives this year.”
The Markup was recently named to the 2022 list of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. Its reporters have produced data-driven investigations on privacy and data abuses by technology companies, stories that have led to congressional action. And its engineers have produced consumer tools that reveal website privacy violations and measure how disinformation travels across social-media platforms.
“Steve is a well-respected champion of fair and ethical independent journalism. He brings deep experience developing, growing and leading outstanding newsrooms, which is critical as we continue to establish The Markup’s industry recognition,” said Nabiha Syed, The Markup’s President and CEO.
Both Angwin and Syed said The Markup would benefit from Adler’s skills and experience.
“I’m so proud of the impact our superbly talented editorial team has had in our first two years of publishing, using a mix of cutting-edge technology and powerful investigative journalism,” said Angwin. “The fact that we’re able to attract a world-class editor like Steve speaks to the importance and quality of our work.”
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About The Markup
The Markup is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates how powerful institutions are using technology to change our society. The Markup is a new kind of media organization, staffed with an unparalleled roster of quantitative journalists who pursue meaningful, data-driven investigations.