Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati Business Courier
On Thursday, the Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted that Executive Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Washburn had left the paper.
Executive editor Carolyn Washburn’s last day at @Enquirer was Wednesday, publisher announces. We thank her for 4 years serving her hometown.
— Enquirer (@Enquirer) May 14, 2015
The follow-up story elaborated a bit:
Washburn, Enquirer editor since January 2011, will continue to live in Cincinnati and pursue her passion for the city and its residents in new ways.
The Cincinnati Business Courier’s Lisa Benson reported on the move Thursday, noting that “Rick Green, the new president and publisher of Enquirer Media, wouldn’t comment on the nature of Washburn’s departure, but praised her for her commitment to ‘meaningful journalism.'”
Washburn, in an email, said “The was the right time for a change.”
“I have been a journalist for 30 years and had amazing experiences and know that I made a difference. But I have increasing passion about some issues in the community that I’d like to be involved with differently … And with a new publisher coming in, it’s a good time to let him form his own team. I’ve been thinking for a while about when the time would be right to move to a next career, and this is the right time all around.”
Thursday’s Cincinnati Enquirer, via Newseum
In February, Jim Romenesko wrote about a memo Washburn sent to staff about frequent errors in the paper. In October of last year, Andrew Beaujon wrote about an exodus from the paper in the midst of reorganization. Last September, Julie Posetti wrote for PBS MediaShift about “The Rise (and Fall) of Female Editors.” Also last September, Nieman Report devoted its cover story to the lack of women in newsroom leadership.
The Enquirer reports that Washburn will be replaced on an interim basis by Michael McCarter, visual storytelling coach.
