News agency Reuters has named Italian Journalist Alessandra Galloni as its next editor-in-chief, appointing a woman to the role for the first time in its 170-year history. Galloni will take charge as the top editor of the organisation from April 19 replacing Stephen Adler, who ran the newsroom for a decade. She will be overseeing 2,500 journalists in 200 locations around the world. In her position as global managing editor, Galloni has overseen news planning and creation for Reuters newsroom since 2015. She joined Reuters in 2013 as editor of the Southern Europe bureau following 13 years at the Wall Street Journal. Galloni is the recipient of the 2020 Minard Editor Award from the Gerald Loeb Foundation, as well as the winner of an Overseas Press Club Award and a UK Business Journalist of the Year Award.
Galloni’s promotion to the top editorial spot at Reuters is part of a larger trend of women taking lead roles in news & media organisations across the globe: most recently, Dawn Davis replaced Adam Rapoport at Bon Appetit and Mary Margaret became Entertainment Weekly’s first female editor in chief in March. This new wave of women leaders are leading newsrooms during a time when, in spite of the recent spate of promotions, women remain notoriously underrepresented in media. According to the Harvard Business Review, women appear in a quarter of television, radio, and print news, and women experts are featured in 19 per cent of news stories. Galloni’s leadership marks a new era for women in the industry — a world where women can, in Galloni’s words, lead newsrooms full of “talented, dedicated, and inspiring journalists.”
Commenting on the appointment, President of Reuters, Michael Friedenberg said, “Alessandra is a transformative and inspirational leader with outstanding journalistic credentials, a truly global perspective and a compelling vision for the future of news. Alessandra has driven innovation, speed and quality throughout our newsgathering operation since becoming global managing editor.”
Steve Hasker, Thomson Reuters president and CEO, said, “At a time when the world sorely needs independent, unbiased journalism, we take seriously the need to push boundaries for all of our customers. Alessandra will do just that. Her skills, talent and expertise are ideal for this moment in the story of the world’s leading newsroom. I have no doubt Reuters will achieve great things under her editorship – and I join many others in thanking Steve Adler for his outstanding service to public service journalism and to Thomson Reuters.”