Jill Abramson Named Top Editor At NY Times

The New York Times has named longtime managing editor Jill Abramson to become executive editor, the highest editorial post of the flagship publication. She will replace her boss, Bill Keller, who’ll step down to become a writer for the paper. Abramson was an investigative reporter and former Washington bureau chief before being named managing editor in 2003. According to the announcement press release, the 57-year-old Abramson likened the job to “ascending to Valhalla.” The change takes place on September 6. Keller ran the paper for the past eight years at a time when it was reeling from the implications of the digital age, which has presented challenges for every newspaper’s circulation and advertising revenues. In recent months, the paper has aggressively marketed its on-line digital version on a subscription basis and it still remains to be seen when this initiative will turn a profit. These transition troubles are the focus of the new film PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES, a documentary by Andrew Rossi that made its debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and will be released later this month by Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media. The film will be the inaugural presentation at the newly expanded film center of the Film Society of Lincoln Center on June 17.

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