As we embark on The 19th’s third year — and dive even deeper into our mission of serving and centering women and LGBTQ+ people left at the margins of American media — we could not be more thrilled to announce the hire of our next editor in chief, Julia B. Chan. 

Julia, an industry leader with a passion for crafting and modeling journalism that complicates established narratives and creatively reaches the underserved, was most recently the managing editor of digital at KQED in the Bay Area, managing a team of more than 50 journalists through a pandemic, civil unrest, wildfires, power outages, a presidential election, local elections and mass shootings. A veteran multi-platform journalist, Julia was previously the director of audience at Mother Jones, digital editor at Reveal for the Center for Investigative Reporting, and web editor at the San Francisco Examiner. 

Julia says it best herself: She’s “committed to exploring gender experiences and inequalities in America in ways that engage audiences, inspire action and hold the powerful accountable.” She’s also devoted to reforming our industry — so that journalism works better, from a culture and equity standpoint, for more working journalists. 

“I’m excited to work in a newsroom of journalists who recognize the diversity and intersectionality of identities in our country, understand the power in identity, and leverage their perspectives and experiences to produce more nuanced journalism,” she says.  

Julia’s digital and investigative work has won awards for innovation, and her dedication to building community was honored by the Online News Association. Outside of the newsroom, Julia serves as the vice president of civic engagement for the Asian American Journalists Association and is a founder of the Journalists of Color Slack. She’s a proud alum of San Francisco State University and Foothill College.

When she’s not working, Julia can be found eating something delicious, watching music videos or going to the beach with her dogs.  

We are beyond excited to welcome Julia to this stellar, fast-growing team, and we’re looking forward to sharing more great new hires with you in the coming weeks.