Columbia Journalism Review Editor Defends Behavior As 'normal Workplace Interactions' After 'baffling' Firing

The erstwhile editor of nan Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) defended his estimation and interactions pinch unit pursuing soul complaints that reportedly led to his firing past week. 

Sewell Chan, nan erstwhile executive editor for nan Ivy League mag published by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, announced connected Friday that he had been dismissed by Columbia University aft conscionable 8 months connected nan job.

The seasoned journalist antecedently worked arsenic editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune and held elder roles astatine The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times.

"This was nan first clip successful a 25-year profession that I’ve ever been subjected to subject successful a occupation — overmuch little terminated from one," he wrote successful a connection posted to X. "I person immense respect for [Dean] Jelani Cobb arsenic a journalist and educator, but nan determination to fto maine spell was hasty, ill-considered and rather frankly baffling."

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Sewell Chan said he was fired from his domiciled arsenic executive editor of nan Columbia Journalism Review connected Thursday. (Getty Images)

In his statement, Chan touted his activity astatine nan mag earlier giving his relationship of what happened successful these unit interactions successful nan weeks earlier his dismissal.

Chan said he had been brought connected to "revive" CJR aft it had gone without a imperishable editor for astir a year. He defended his tenure arsenic "brief but eventful", citing really his team's reporting had garnered them nickname successful nan publicity industry.

He shared really he was fired conscionable a fewer days aft learning of staff complaints "following pointed interactions successful which I provided adjacent and captious feedback rooted successful editorial rigor."

In 1 of these "pointed" interactions, he explained he had raised concerns astir a "significant ethical problem" pinch "a chap who is passionately devoted to nan origin of nan Gaza protests astatine Columbia and had covered nan caller detention of a Palestinian postgraduate for an online publication he had conscionable written about, positively, for CJR."

In different interaction, he said he pressed a newsman connected a deadline for a story; and nan last relationship progressive a unit personnel who refused to activity successful nan office, contempt assemblage guidelines, aliases meet communicative quotas, he said.

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A Columbia Journalism student journalist shows disconnected their motion arsenic they screen anti-Israel protests astatine Hamilton Hall astatine Columbia University connected April 30, 2024 successful New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Chan defended his comments during these conversations arsenic "normal workplace interactions" successful which he provided "rigorous, fair, observant editorial oversight," which was nary different from what he had done astatine different media outlets he had worked at.

"The norms astatine Columbia are apparently very different," Chan said.

Cobb, nan dean of Columbia Journalism School, did not instantly return Fox News Digital's petition for comment.

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