Portland journalist Sarah Jeong leaves NYT editorial board

The local author and reporter will continue to write for the New York Times opinion section on a contract basis.

A Portland-based reporter is giving up her seat on the New York Times editorial board, according to national media reports.

Sarah Jeong will now serve as a "contracted contributor" with the paper's opinion section, according to CNN's Reliable Sources newsletter, which broke the story.

Dubbed "the most influential Oregonian you've never heard of" by Willamette Week, Jeong quietly left the editorial board in August without a public announcement.

"The decision was hard because of the many wonderful colleagues I would have to leave behind, but I made the change so I can work on what I want to work on in the immediate moment," Jeong told CNN on Sept. 27.

The 31-year-old Harvard-educated author frequently opined on technology and the internet, which she says has led to a new age of misinformation, scamming and virtual harassment.

Jeong's rise to the Gray Lady's editorial board roughly a year ago sparked a backlash after critics resurfaced some of her old tweets that criticized white people. Jeong apologized, and her parting with the Times appears amicable.

"We're glad to still have her journalism and insights around technology in our pages through her work as a contributor," a Times editor told CNN.

Jeong recently appeared at a Powell's book talk with another journalist on Sept. 11.