The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard has named Samantha Henry editor of Nieman Reports, one of the oldest and most respected publications covering the news industry. Established in 1947 and published both online and in print, Nieman Reports provides in-depth news and analysis of important issues, opportunities and challenges facing journalists and newsrooms around the world today.
In her role as editor, Henry is responsible for directing an international network of contributing writers, photographers and designers who produce news features, opinion pieces, photo essays and interviews with leading journalists and media experts.
Henry has served as Nieman Reports’ interim editor since November 2024. She previously worked as Nieman’s assistant director for programming and special projects, managing training and programming for the foundation’s cohort of fellows from across the globe. She also helped plan campus partnerships, media initiatives, journalism conferences and large events, such as the centennial of the Pulitzer Prizes, and Nieman’s annual Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism.
Nieman Curator Ann Marie Lipinski said: “Samantha brings a range of experience to the editorship of Nieman Reports, the foundation’s oldest publication. Her years of work as a reporter and in program planning for our Nieman Fellows at Harvard equip her in special ways to lead a magazine positioned at the intersection of journalism and academia. We look forward to Samantha’s fresh examination of our industry and craft.”
Henry added: “I am honored to continue Nieman Reports’ long tradition of standing for press freedom and shining light on the vitally important work of journalists around the world.”
Henry joined the Nieman Foundation in 2015, following a journalism career at a variety of news outlets, including several newspapers in New York City and New Jersey, CNN and The Associated Press, where she was among the first wave of staff members to be cross-trained in producing print, radio and video stories. She also worked as a media officer at the United Nations in New York and Latin America, working for UN Television at the agency’s New York headquarters, and for UNICEF in both New York City and Panama.
Henry is a graduate of Hunter College of The City University of New York and has a master’s degree from Harvard Kennedy School. She was a 2015 Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan.
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard educates leaders in journalism, promotes innovation and elevates the standards of the profession. More than 1,700 journalists from 100 countries have been awarded Nieman Fellowships since 1938. In addition to Nieman Reports, the foundation publishes Nieman Journalism Lab, a website reporting on the future of news, innovation and best practices in the digital media age, and Nieman Storyboard, a website showcasing narrative journalism and nonfiction storytelling.
