USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel Resigns

USA Today Editor-in-Chief Terence Samuel announced Monday he is stepping down after a year in office.

Samuel, a veteran journalist, had joined USA Today in July of the previous year from National Public Radio, where he had been a senior executive overseeing all news programs. Neither Samuel nor USA Today gave a reason for his departure.

In an email to the newsroom, Monica Richardson, a senior vice president at USA Today, said Samuel’s resignation was “effective today.” Caren Bohan, the political editor, will temporarily take over as managing editor while the publication conducts a national search for a new chief newsroom editor, Richardson wrote.

In an interview on Monday, Samuel described his departure as “sudden,” but did not provide further details about the reasons.

“I wish this could have lasted a lot longer because it’s been a great year,” Samuel said. “We’ve done great things in that newsroom and I wish them the best.”

Monica Richardson, in a statement to The New York Times, did not provide specific details about the leadership change. “Terry Samuel has been a valued colleague during his tenure at USA Today,” she said. “We sincerely wish him the best and thank him for his contributions.”

Samuel has a long experience in journalism: he has worked, among others, at the Washington Post, the Root and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

USA Today, founded in 1982, is owned by Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the United States. After merging with Gatehouse Media in 2019, Gannett implemented significant staff cuts at its publications to manage debt, prompting protests from unionized employees.