Hearst has announced that Maria Reeve, managing editor of the Houston Chronicle, has been named executive editor. The announcement was made by Steven R. Swartz, Hearst president and CEO; Jeff Johnson, Hearst Newspapers president; and John McKeon, Hearst Texas Newspapers president and Houston Chronicle publisher.
“We didn’t have to look far to find the best person to become executive editor,” Johnson said. “Since Maria began working for the Houston Chronicle in 2019, we have all seen her leadership, creativity and dedication to providing our readers with the stories that matter most to them. We know she will continue to drive growth and important storytelling in the newsroom.”
McKeon added: “Maria has been an unfaltering leader during a difficult time, and our newsroom has produced outstanding journalism throughout the pandemic. I have great confidence in her ability to bring out the best in our newsroom and to build on our mission of public service. I look forward to seeing our work continue to attract a larger audience on all our platforms.”
Since November 2019, Reeve has served as managing editor of the Houston Chronicle. She will be the first journalist of color to lead the Houston Chronicle newsroom. Prior to joining the newspaper, she was an assistant managing editor of news at theStar Tribune in Minneapolis. Throughout her tenure at the Star Tribune, which began in 2011, she was also an assistant features editor and deputy metro editor. Reeve previously worked at the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Additionally, she is an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a past president of Twin Cities Black Journalists.
“I am beyond honored and deeply humbled to be chosen to lead this newsroom at this time in our country’s history,” Reeve said. “Our newsroom is talented and ambitious, and I’m excited by the work we’ll do together to inform and serve this community.”
Reeve fills the role vacated by Steve Riley, who announced in March that he will be retiring later this year. Riley was named executive editor in May 2019.
The Houston Chronicle, one of the largest newspapers in the United States, was founded in 1901 and was acquired by Hearst in 1987. In addition to delivering in-depth coverage of local issues, the Houston Chronicle is committed to covering state, national and international news. It has been honored as Newsroom of the Year by the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors the past three years. The newspaper operates a news bureau in Washington, D.C., that provides coverage of issues of special interest to residents of Houston and Texas. As one of Texas’ largest news organizations, it publishes print and online products in English and Spanish, including mobile apps and sites, direct mail, commercial print and experiential marketing programs.
HoustonChronicle.com, the Houston Chronicle’s premium subscriber website, reached new highs this year. In addition to the Houston Chronicle’s 825,000 daily readers and 1.4 million readers on Sunday, Chron.com is widely regarded as one of the top newspaper websites and averages nearly 95 million page views and 15 million unique visitors each month.
Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. With more than 3,000 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers publishes 24 dailies and 52 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, Times Union (Albany, New York) and San Antonio Express-News. It also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand.
