Sewell Chan
Encyclopedia
Sewell Chan is an American journalist who has worked for The New York Times
since 2004. In February 2011 he was named deputy opinion page editor of the Times. He was previously a Washington correspondent covering economic policy. From 2007 to 2009, he was the founding bureau chief of City Room, the newspaper's local news blog.
Chan is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Poynter Institute
and has been honored with a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.
and attended New York City public schools and Hunter College High School
. His father was a taxi cab driver. He graduated from Harvard College
in 1998 and won a Marshall Scholarship
for graduate study at Oxford University.
From 2000 to 2004, Chan wrote for The Washington Post
, where he covered municipal politics, poverty and social services, and education. He was the author of a four-part investigative series about the treatment of juvenile delinquents in the District of Columbia, and won praise from the Society for American Archivists for his investigation into conditions at the District of Columbia Archives. He also covered the conflict in Iraq for the Post's Baghdad bureau.
After moving to The New York Times in 2004, Chan developed a reputation as a prolific reporter. He reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 transit strike, and the 2008 papal visit of Benedict XVI.
The 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...
since 2004. In February 2011 he was named deputy opinion page editor of the Times. He was previously a Washington correspondent covering economic policy. From 2007 to 2009, he was the founding bureau chief of City Room, the newspaper's local news blog.
Chan is a member of the National Advisory Board of the Poynter Institute
Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a non-profit school for journalism located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school's mission statement says that "The Poynter Institute is a school dedicated to teaching and inspiring journalists and media leaders. It promotes excellence and integrity in the practice of...
and has been honored with a Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism.
Biography
Chan, the son of immigrants from China and Hong Kong, grew up in Flushing, QueensFlushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
and attended New York City public schools and Hunter College High School
Hunter College High School
Hunter College High School is a New York City secondary school for intellectually gifted students located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. It is administered by Hunter College, a senior college of the City University of New York. Although it is not operated by the New York City Department of...
. His father was a taxi cab driver. He graduated from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
in 1998 and won a Marshall Scholarship
Marshall Scholarship
The Marshall Scholarship, a postgraduate scholarships available to Americans, was created by the Parliament of the United Kingdom when the Marshall Aid Commemoration Act was passed in 1953. The scholarships serve as a living gift to the United States of America in recognition of the post-World War...
for graduate study at Oxford University.
From 2000 to 2004, Chan wrote for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, where he covered municipal politics, poverty and social services, and education. He was the author of a four-part investigative series about the treatment of juvenile delinquents in the District of Columbia, and won praise from the Society for American Archivists for his investigation into conditions at the District of Columbia Archives. He also covered the conflict in Iraq for the Post's Baghdad bureau.
After moving to The New York Times in 2004, Chan developed a reputation as a prolific reporter. He reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 transit strike, and the 2008 papal visit of Benedict XVI.