Quartz ideas editor Mitra Kalita will join the Poynter Institute as an adjunct faculty member. Before Quartz, Kalita worked at The Wall Street Journal, and she’s also worked for the Associated Press and The Washington Post.
Mitra Kalita.
Kalita first came to Poynter when she was a college student. “A lot has changed in our profession since then and I’ve made the transition from legacy media to a digitally native, innovative startup in Quartz,” Kalita says in the release. “But a lot hasn’t; the Poynter rules I learned that summer in the late 1990s still apply.”
Full release:
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (October 2, 2014) –Mitra Kalita, one of the nation’s leading digital innovators and current Quartz ideas editor, is joining The Poynter Institute’s adjunct faculty.
Kalita, who was named one of Folio’s Top 100 Women in Media for 2014, is also an author, a senior manager for three startups and is a frequent lecturer on digital storytelling.
Prior to her current position as Quartz ideas editor, she managed The Wall Street Journal’s reporting on the Great Recession. She also spearheaded the launch of a local news section for New York City and covered the housing crisis. Additionally, she was a driving force behind the launch of Mint, a New Delhi business paper. Other previous editorial roles include her time spent on staff at the Washington Post, the Associated Press and Newsday. She also holds a position as adjunct professor of journalism at St. John’s and Columbia universities, and is a past president of the South Asian Journalists Association.
“Mitra is a perfect fit for Poynter’s teaching team, and her appointment symbolizes the institute’s new strategic focus on digital innovation,” said Tim Franklin, president of The Poynter Institute. “Mitra has thrived at top legacy news organizations, and now at a growing digital operation, Quartz. At the same time, she’s also gained experience teaching at Columbia University and St. John’s. That background uniquely positions Mitra for Poynter. Mitra also is one of the nation’s leaders when it comes to innovative digital storytelling. We couldn’t be happier to have Mitra join our team.”
Kalita began her affiliation with Poynter as a college student. “My introduction to Poynter came during a seminar for college editors,” she said. “It was there I picked up lifelong lessons on ethics, storytelling, diversity, and management—all through the complicated lens of a journalist’s desire for fairness, compassion, and accountability. A lot has changed in our profession since then and I’ve made the transition from legacy media to a digitally native, innovative startup in Quartz. But a lot hasn’t; the Poynter rules I learned that summer in the late 1990s still apply.
I am so honored to now be able to give back a little to this institution as an adjunct faculty member. As has always been tradition at Poynter, I expect to gain as much from participants as they might from me. And I look forward to figuring out together not just how our industry will survive but thrive.”
“Mitra’s an ideal complement to the Poynter faculty,” said Kelly McBride, Poynter’s vice president of academic programs. “She’s smart, entrepreneurial and dynamic. And she has the great combination of journalism chops, startup expertise and teaching experience to enhance our curriculum and help us lead the journalism industry.”
We have made it easy to comment on posts, however we require civility and encourage full names to that end (first initial, last name is OK). Please read our guidelines here before commenting.