The New York Times announced on Thursday that longtime publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. would retire at the end of the year and be replaced by his deputy publisher — and son — Arthur Gregg Sulzberger.
“The New York Times Company announced today that Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr. will retire as publisher on December 31, 2017,” the paper said in a statement. “Deputy Publisher A.G. Sulzberger, 37, will become publisher of The New York Times on January 1, 2018.”
In his own statement, the incoming Sulzberger said he would remain committed to the Times’ legacy of journalistic excellence and steering the paper through the digital revolution.
“Original, independent, deeply-reported journalism is the fuel that powers a healthy and engaged society,” he said. “My focus as publisher will be on ensuring the continued journalistic excellence and commercial success of The Times through a period of transformation for the news industry.”
The younger Sulzberger had been widely viewed internally as the heir-apparent to his father after he was named deputy publisher last year. Another possible contender, David Sulzberger Perpich, was instead moved to oversee The Wirecutter, a site purchased by the Times last year for $30 million. The acquisition, according to the Times’ own reporting, was intended to help the paper expand into “lifestyle journalism.”