Eat The Press

Change On The NYT Editorial Page: Collins Out, Rosenthal In (Then, Collins Back In)

New York Times |  Media Mob |  Posted Thursday October 12, 2006 at 12:10 PM

New York Times editorial page editor Gail Collins stepped down this afternoon, and will be succeeded by deputy editorial page editor Andrew Rosenthal, effective January 1, 2007. Collins, who has held the post since 2001, will take book leave until July 2007 whereupon she will return to the editorial page as an op-ed columnist. See, Susan Estrich, they're listening!

Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. described Rosenthal as "a born editorial writer," which was not meant as a pun owing to his extensive resume (NYT assistant managing editor, foreign editor, national editor) but which resonates a tad more based on the fact that his father was the late A.M. Rosenthal, former Times executive editor and legendary newsman (something which was left off the original press release, as the Media Mob was only too pleased to point out).

Rosenthal commented that the Op-Ed section was facing challenges, including the upcoming reduced paper size: "We're trying to figure out a way to do all the things we're doing now but in less space." Sulzberger praisedCollins for her contributions to the paper, including the introduction of TimesSelect. We assume these two things are somehow related.