Andrés Martinez (editor)
Encyclopedia
Andrés Martinez is the director of the Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program at the New America Foundation
. In the past, he has worked as an opinion journalist and business writer, his highest position as editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times
, a position from which he resigned amid scandal.
to Jeanette B. Martinez (of Boston) and Alfredo Martinez Urdal of Mexico City
.
He graduated from Yale University
with a history degree in 1988. He earned a Master's Degree
in Russian history from Stanford University
in 1989, and a law degree from Columbia University
in 1992, where he served on Law Review.
In 1995, Martinez moved to the Post-Gazette's editorial board, where he served until 1997.
In 1995, Martinez married Katherine Collins Hall, an associate at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart
, a law firm in Pittsburgh, when Martinez was 29 years old. The couple divorced but together they have a son named Sebastian.
. There, he served as assistant editorial page editor and a member of the editorial board. In 2004, he was a Pulitzer Prize
finalist for editorials he wrote about how U.S. farm subsidies negatively impact the third world.
, who had served as editorial and opinion editor.
In March 2007, Los Angeles Times reporter James Rainey wrote that the paper's publisher David Hiller
was considering the cancellation of that weekend's "Sunday Current" section in response to an internal controversy regarding Martinez's role. Rainey wrote that the news staff of the Times, including editor Jim O'Shea, pressured Hiller to stop publication after learning that Martinez was romantically involved with Kelly Mullens, a public relations executive who worked for the firm that represented the section's guest editor, Hollywood producer Brian Grazer
.
Martinez called a staff meeting in hopes of quelling criticism, where he denied that his relationship with Mullens played a role in Grazer's selection as guest editor. Later in the day he filed a post on the Times opinion blog where he claimed several other editors were involved in the decision, denied Mullens played any role, and described allegations of a conflict of interest as "absurd".
The next day, Hiller canceled the section, and issued a statement: "We believe that this relationship did not influence the selection of Brian as guest editor. Nonetheless, in order to avoid even the appearance of conflict, we felt the best course of action was not to publish the section." Soon after, Martinez resigned his position (and then blogged about it), suggesting that he had been done in by the newsroom of his own paper, calling Hiller's decision a vote of "no confidence".
In August 2008, Martinez filed a lawsuit against ex-girlfriend Mullens, alleging that the public relations executive had cost him his job at the newspaper and tarnished his professional reputation.
Mullens' attorney claimed that the suit was retaliation against her client, who had filed a restraining against Martinez earlier in the year.
. In 2009, Martinez was hired to direct the Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program with the mission to "identify and support the next generation of American public policy scholars and writers" at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC.
New America Foundation
The New America Foundation is a non-profit public policy institute and think tank with offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, CA. It was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead, Sherle Schwenninger, Michael Lind and Walter Russell Mead....
. In the past, he has worked as an opinion journalist and business writer, his highest position as editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, a position from which he resigned amid scandal.
Youth
Martinez was born in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Jeanette B. Martinez (of Boston) and Alfredo Martinez Urdal of Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with a history degree in 1988. He earned a Master's Degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Russian history from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1989, and a law degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1992, where he served on Law Review.
Law (1992-1993)
After law school, Martinez practiced communications law in Washington, D.C. at the firm Verner Lipfer, and served as a law clerk for Federal District Judge Jerry Buchmeyer in Dallas.Pittsburgh (1994-1997)
Switching to journalism, Martinez went to work as a reporter for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in 1995.In 1995, Martinez moved to the Post-Gazette's editorial board, where he served until 1997.
Marriage
In 1995, Martinez married Katherine Collins Hall, an associate at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart
Kirkpatrick & Lockhart
K&L Gates LLP is a United States law firm with over 1900 attorneys worldwide and is ranked as the 9th largest law firm in the United States by the National Law Journal and as the 11th largest among law firms worldwide by The American Lawyer...
, a law firm in Pittsburgh, when Martinez was 29 years old. The couple divorced but together they have a son named Sebastian.
The Wall Street Journal (1997-98)
Martinez went on to work for the Wall Street Journal as a business reporter in 1997.Book on Las Vegas (1999)
In 1999, Martinez released his first book, 24/7: Living It Up and Doubling Down in the New Las Vegas.The New York Times (2000-2004)
In 2000 Martinez became a writer at The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. There, he served as assistant editorial page editor and a member of the editorial board. In 2004, he was a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
finalist for editorials he wrote about how U.S. farm subsidies negatively impact the third world.
The Los Angeles Times (2004-2007)
After moving to the Los Angeles Times in September 2004, Martinez's duties were expanded to include oversight of the op-ed page and "Sunday Current", in addition to his responsibilities for the editorial page, upon the October 2005 resignation from the paper of Michael KinsleyMichael Kinsley
Michael Kinsley is an American political journalist, commentator, television host, and pundit. Primarily active in print media as both a writer and editor, he also became known to television audiences as a co-host on Crossfire...
, who had served as editorial and opinion editor.
"Grazergate" Controversy
In March 2007, Los Angeles Times reporter James Rainey wrote that the paper's publisher David Hiller
David Hiller
David Dean Hiller is a lawyer and former media executive for Chicago-based Tribune Company. On May 18, 2009, he was appointed president and CEO of the McCormick Foundation, a leading charitable organization with more than $1 billion in assets...
was considering the cancellation of that weekend's "Sunday Current" section in response to an internal controversy regarding Martinez's role. Rainey wrote that the news staff of the Times, including editor Jim O'Shea, pressured Hiller to stop publication after learning that Martinez was romantically involved with Kelly Mullens, a public relations executive who worked for the firm that represented the section's guest editor, Hollywood producer Brian Grazer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer is an Academy Award-winning American film and television producer who co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. Together they have produced many acclaimed films, including Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind .- Career :Brian Grazer began his career as a producer...
.
Martinez called a staff meeting in hopes of quelling criticism, where he denied that his relationship with Mullens played a role in Grazer's selection as guest editor. Later in the day he filed a post on the Times opinion blog where he claimed several other editors were involved in the decision, denied Mullens played any role, and described allegations of a conflict of interest as "absurd".
The next day, Hiller canceled the section, and issued a statement: "We believe that this relationship did not influence the selection of Brian as guest editor. Nonetheless, in order to avoid even the appearance of conflict, we felt the best course of action was not to publish the section." Soon after, Martinez resigned his position (and then blogged about it), suggesting that he had been done in by the newsroom of his own paper, calling Hiller's decision a vote of "no confidence".
Legal fallout and allegations of harassment
In August 2008, Martinez filed a lawsuit against ex-girlfriend Mullens, alleging that the public relations executive had cost him his job at the newspaper and tarnished his professional reputation.
Mullens' attorney claimed that the suit was retaliation against her client, who had filed a restraining against Martinez earlier in the year.
Washington Post (2007-2008)
In November 2007, Martinez was hired by the Washington Post's website to write a twice-weekly political advice column called "Stumped". The column ran through the end of the presidential campaign in November 2008.Public Policy (2007-Present)
In July 2007, Martinez started a new job as a fellow at the New America FoundationNew America Foundation
The New America Foundation is a non-profit public policy institute and think tank with offices in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, CA. It was founded in 1999 by Ted Halstead, Sherle Schwenninger, Michael Lind and Walter Russell Mead....
. In 2009, Martinez was hired to direct the Bernard L. Schwartz Fellows Program with the mission to "identify and support the next generation of American public policy scholars and writers" at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC.