Bhatia to lead Enquirer newsroom

Peter Bhatia, a multiple Pulitzer Prize-winning editor who has spearheaded meaningful journalism and digital advances at numerous news sites across the country, will be the new editor and vice president of audience engagement at Enquirer Media.

Bhatia, 62, is the director of the Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State’s Cronkite School of Journalism. He joined the Phoenix university a year ago as a visiting professor in journalism ethics after a long and successful career at The Oregonian in Portland, where he was the paper’s editor.

Bhatia is “a talented, accomplished top editor who knows how to build great teams that win and fulfill important roles in the communities they serve. I know he will do that for us here in Cincinnati. Peter knows how to coach, inspire and deliver the kind of journalism that I love and this city deserves,” said Rick Green, president and publisher of The Enquirer and Cincinnati.Com as well as regional president of Gannett's 10 other Ohio newspapers.

Green, a former Enquirer reporter and editor who returned to Cincinnati in March, said he quickly realized as publisher “the quality improvements we needed to make would take time. Peter’s hiring accelerates that progress.

“I'm very excited and honored to have the opportunity to join Enquirer Media. There is a great team in place in Cincinnati and across the new Gannett company, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in news to deliver meaningful and interesting work across platforms,” Bhatia said.

He told employees in the Enquirer newsroom that he strongly believes in the future of journalism. “Journalism is fine,” he said. “It’s the way we deliver journalism that is imperiled” as news organizations worldwide seek to find and build audiences in new ways, especially digitally and through social media.

“There are a lot of good things being done in this newsroom every day,” Bhatia continued, adding that investigative reporting and clear-eyed scrutiny of all kinds of institutions would increase during his watch.

Gannett Co. Inc., the parent company of the Enquirer, announced Bhatia’s selection on Thursday. He is to start in mid-August.

“Peter brings a wealth of skills, values, experiences and an invigorated commitment to all-platform, high-quality journalism to The Enquirer. He’s an experienced, award-winning journalist who is a hands-on leader and coach,” said John Zidich, president of Gannett Domestic Publishing, in a statement. “I know he is eager to join New Gannett and help steer us to new heights.”

“New Gannett” is the McLean, Virginia-based publishing company’s description for itself after splitting last month from the company’s former television and digital arms, which are now a separate company called Tegna. Gannett describes itself as “a next-generation media company committed to strengthening communities across our network.” The company says its websites and newspapers reach nearly 100 million people monthly in more than 110 markets internationally.

Bhatia replaces Carolyn Washburn, who stepped down as editor in May. Interim editor Michael McCarter has been running The Enquirer/Cincinnati.com newsroom since then. He moves into a senior news director role upon Bhatia’s arrival.

The incoming editor’s resume includes helping lead newsrooms that won nine Pulitzer Prizes, including the six in Portland. He also is a six-time Pulitzer juror.

“The media industry – with all of its economic challenges, shifting audience habits and technological advances – continues to change quickly and dramatically. But two staples remain: Great content and powerful leadership. I’m convinced Peter Bhatia will provide both to us at The Enquirer,” Green said.

Bhatia (his last name is pronounced BAH-tee-ah) is the first journalist of South Asian descent to lead a major daily newspaper in the U.S., running The Oregonian from 2010 to 2014. He previously was the paper’s managing editor and executive editor, teaming with then-editor Sandra Mims Rowe. Rowe and Bhatia were named editors of the year by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2008.

”I’m extremely happy to be in Cincinnati,” Bhatia said. “This is an incredible opportunity to join a remarkable institution and a great city and to really do the kind of things that I love as a journalist, which is to bring great journalism to our readers and to our online audience.”

Bhatia's career at a glance

Incoming Enquirer editor Peter Bhatia was executive editor of The Fresno Bee, managing editor of The Sacramento Bee, editor of the York (Pennsylvania) Dispatch and Sunday News, managing editor of the Dallas Times Herald, deputy managing editor of the San Francisco Examiner and a reporter and editor at The Spokesman-Review in Spokane, Washington.

From 2007-2014, he served as president of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, which accredits journalism and mass communications programs at universities around the country.

He continues on the accrediting council as a representative of the American Society of News Editors. Bhatia was president of the society in 2003-2004.

During his time at Arizona State, he also has served as an editor in the Carnegie-Knight News21 investigative multimedia program, headquartered at Cronkite.

Bhatia is a 1975 graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in history.

The Pullman, Washington, native was inducted into the South Asian Journalists Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and received the Asian American Journalists Association Pioneer in Journalism Award in 2004.

He also is a member of the South Asian Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists.

Graves returns to Enquirer as columnist

Chris Graves, a veteran reporter, editor and digital leader, will join The Enquirer and Cincinnati.com newsroom as our new storyteller/columnist and digital strategist. Her first day will be July 27.

"In her role, Chris will help elevate our storytelling on all platforms and inject more personality and commentary in our local content mix," said interim editor Michael McCarter in a memo to The Enquirer newsroom. "Her mission is to tell meaningful stories about our region, residents, issues and communities in a variety of ways: first-person columns, enterprising take-outs and ambitious storytelling. A special emphasis will be placed on the digital space and social media channels."

Graves, who lives Downtown, is a Nebraska native who first arrived in Cincinnati in 1990. She covered public safety issues and stories in Northern Kentucky for The Enquirer before heading to the Twin Cities, where she did award-winning work for the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis. She returned to The Enquirer in 2003 as an assistant metro editor before shifting into key digital content leadership roles.

After a stint in public relations, Graves, 50, went to WCPO.com, where she most recently was managing editor.