The Times launches London reporting rotation, first with correspondent Jaweed Kaleem
The following announcement was sent on behalf of Managing Editor Scott Kraft and Foreign and National Editor Jeffrey Fleishman:
We’re excited to announce an ambitious yearlong rotating reporting position in London to enhance our 24-hour news coverage, write compelling enterprise in real time and continue exploring the connections between California and the rest of the world. Jaweed Kaleem will launch the initiative in March with a four-month assignment.
California is a global powerhouse with strong and growing ties to the most innovative thinkers in business, politics, culture, entertainment and the environment, among other areas. The enterprising work of our talented correspondent corps in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East makes us proud every day — and they make clear that there is a huge audience for stories on the influence of other countries on our state, and our state on other countries.
This new role will tap into those California connections in Britain and Europe, and we’ll define the beat broadly. Why, for example, does a Swedish billionaire have his sights on America’s video game industry? Are California expats happy to be relocating to Portugal or, for that matter, Estonia? How is Europe becoming a growing culinary pipeline to Los Angeles?
Kaleem and subsequent correspondents in the rotation will report to the Foreign Desk and Jeffrey Fleishman. The mission will be twofold. They will use the time zone advantage to anchor top stories and do smart follow-up stories on trending topics, regardless of where those stories are centered. That will accelerate our news coverage in collaboration with Shelby Grad and B.J. Terhune’s operation as well as with Henry Chu in London and Rachel Schnalzer on the Audience team. These correspondents also will travel the region looking for stories that interest our subscribers, contributing deeply reported journalism across platforms to add a global perspective for our diverse audiences. Experiments that push form and engage those audiences on- and off-platform will be a priority.
We see this as a model for how we hope to involve more of our staff in breaking news while remaining nimble enough to explore the themes and subjects that are top of mind to Californians and those everywhere who are interested in California. Kaleem’s work as a national correspondent has been nuanced, smartly written, analytical and reflective of the divisive issues facing America. We know he’ll bring those same skills to distilling stories that highlight California’s links to a changing world order.
One of the thrilling things about this effort is that it has the potential to create work that speaks to Californians, including the global diaspora that calls the state home, and to distinguish us from others on the global beat. We’re excited to see it take shape as Kaleem takes the first leg of the rotation.
