Susan Smith Richardson

Susan Smith Richardson, former editor and publisher of The Chicago Reporter, has been named chief executive officer of the Center for Public Integrity. Her appointment, effective May 20, was announced today.

Based in Washington, D.C., the nonprofit investigative journalism organization is marking its 30th year of exposing abuses of power by government and corporate interests.

Richardson most recently was editorial director of Newsroom Practice Change at the New York-based Solutions Journalism Network. From 2013 to 2018 she headed The Chicago Reporter, the influential nonprofit news organization that investigates issues of race, poverty and income inequality. Earlier she worked at the Chicago Tribune as assistant metro editor, and taught journalism at Columbia College.

In 2014 and 2017 she was cited here among the most powerful women in Chicago journalism.

Richard Lobo, a former vice president and general manager of NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5, who chaired the search committee, said Richardson has “a unique blend of experience in both nonprofit and commercial media, and a track record as an innovative leader in newsrooms big and small. She brings a fresh and bold outlook we need.”

The Center was founded in 1989 by Charles Lewis, former investigative reporter for ABC News and a producer for CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” Since then it has won several Pulitzer Prizes.

“The Center has a proud legacy of hard-hitting journalism,” Richardson said in a statement.”I plan to build on that legacy, focusing on making our work more accessible and more relevant to communities across the country.

“At a time of disinformation and disaffection with institutions, we have to rethink what issues we cover, how we cover them and whose stories define what is newsworthy, if we truly are to hold power to account.”