Nancy Barnes - Wikiwand

American journalist (born 1961)

Born1961 (age 64–65)

AlmamaterUniversity of Virginia (BA)
University of North Carolina (MBA)

OccupationsJournalist, author

Nancy Barnes
Born	1961 (age 64–65)
Alma mater	University of Virginia (BA) University of North Carolina (MBA)
Occupations	Journalist, author

Nancy Barnes (born 1961) is an American journalist and newspaper editor. She served as editor of The Boston Globe from 2023 to 2025 and as chief news executive of NPR from 2018 to 2022, She sits on the board of the Peabody Awards, which are presented by the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.^[1]^[2]

External audio
Houston Matters, Nancy Barnes Leaves The Houston Chronicle For NPR, 5:34, Houston Public Media^[3]

Barnes earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the University of North Carolina.^[4]

Career

Before joining The Boston Globe in 2023, Barnes was the chief news executive at NPR.^[5] Prior jobs include editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune from 2003 to 2013 and editor and executive vice president of news for the Houston Chronicle between 2013 and 2018.^[6]^[4]

In 2013, while Barnes was editor at the Star Tribune the paper won the Pulitzer Prize for local news for reporting on infant deaths at day care facilities. It also won the Gerald Loeb Award for Breaking News and two 2013 Edward R. Murrow Awards for multimedia journalism.^[4]^[7]

While she led the Chronicle the paper won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. It was a Pulitzer finalist in 2017 for reports on the denial of special education to tens of thousands of Texas students, and a 2018 finalist for its reporting on Hurricane Harvey.^[8]

At NPR, Barnes succeeded Michael Oreskes after he was fired over sexual harassment allegations. Barnes was the fourteenth person and fourth woman to head NPR's news division since the position was defined in 1979.^[6]

On November 14, 2022, The Boston Globe announced that Barnes would become its 13th editor and the first woman to lead the Globe’s newsroom.^[5] Barnes said in December 2025 that she would step down as editor to become an editor at large; she will be replaced by her predecessor, Brian McGrory.^[9]

References

↑ "Nancy Barnes - Editor - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
↑ "Who We Are". Grady College and University of Georgia. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
↑ "Houston Matters, Newly Named NPR's Chief News Executive Says Her Experience in Texas Will Be Useful". Houston Public Media. October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
1 2 3 Mellon, Ericka (18 September 2013). "Houston Chronicle names new editor". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
1 2 Edelman, Larry (2022-11-14). "The Boston Globe names NPR news chief Nancy Barnes as its next editor". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
1 2 Folkenflick, David (16 October 2018). "Veteran Newspaper Editor Nancy Barnes Named NPR's Top News Executive". NPR. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
↑ "Murrow Awards 2013". Radio Television Digital News Association. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
↑ Peiser, Jaclyn (16 October 2018). "NPR Names The Houston Chronicle's Nancy Barnes Its Editorial Director". New York Times. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
↑ Enwemeka, Zeninjor (2025-12-15). "Brian McGrory will return to Boston Globe as top editor". WBUR. Retrieved 2025-12-27.

Preceded by

Brian McGrory

Editor of The Boston Globe
2023–ongoing

Succeeded by

incumbent

v t e NPR
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Distributions	1A Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Car Talk Fresh Air From the Top Latino USA Mountain Stage Piano Jazz StoryCorps World Cafe
Former productions	Ask Me Another Bryant Park Project Day to Day The Diane Rehm Show Earplay Jazz Profiles News & Notes NPR Playhouse Only a Game Radio Expeditions Talk of the Nation Tell Me More State of the Re:Union
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See also	Personnel Public broadcasting in the United States American Public Media Corporation for Public Broadcasting Executive Order 14290 NPR stations NPR Music NPR controversies NPR One Pocket Casts Public Radio Satellite System Pacifica Foundation Public Radio Exchange Public Radio International, 1983–2019

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