CAMBRIDGE, MA— Nancy Gibbs, former Editor in Chief of Time, has been named a visiting member of the faculty at Harvard Kennedy School and to the Edward R. Murrow Chair of Press, Politics, and Public Policy. She will serve as a faculty affiliate at the Kennedy School's . This full-time appointment begins March 1, 2018.
“Nancy Gibbs is an extremely thoughtful and respected voice on issues of politics, values, and society,” said Douglas Elmendorf, dean and Don K. Price Professor of Public Policy. “Her extensive knowledge and insights will help illuminate research and discussions at the school about the role of journalism in democracies and in the digital age.”
Gibbs is the former editor of Time, and former editorial director of the Time Inc. News Group. She joined Time in 1985 and worked as a writer and editor before holding senior management positions. Gibbs was named Time’s 17th managing editor in 2013, and was the first woman to hold the position. She is one of the most published writers in the history of Time, having covered four presidential campaigns and written more cover stories than any other writer. Gibbs won the National Magazine Award for her cover story in Time’s black-bordered September 11, 2001, special issue. She is the co-author, along with Michael Duffy, of two best-selling presidential histories: The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity (2012), and The Preacher and the Presidents: Billy Graham in the White House (2007).
“Nancy’s track record of leadership and her insightful perspectives on the changing nature of media, technology, and politics make her an excellent addition to the Kennedy School,” said Nicco Mele, director of the Shorenstein Center. “She will undoubtedly be a valuable resource for students, fellows, and the vlog community as a whole.”
Gibbs will teach courses at the Kennedy School that draw upon her decades of experience in journalism. At the Shorenstein Center, Gibbs will participate in research activities and lend her expertise to the fellows program.
“We live in times of great change for media, and in the ways in which citizens consume information. I look forward to exploring these issues with the faculty, fellows, and students at Harvard Kennedy School,” said Gibbs.
Gibbs graduated from Yale with honors in history, and has a degree in politics and philosophy from Oxford, where she was a Marshall scholar. She has twice served as the Ferris Professor at Princeton, where she taught a seminar on politics and the press.
The Edward R. Murrow Professorship was established in 1987; the first occupant was Marvin Kalb, the founding director of the Shorenstein Center. The chair was designed to be held by a distinguished practitioner from the media and was named after Edward Roscoe Murrow (1908-1965), the esteemed radio and television newscaster whose pioneering eyewitness accounts brought the events of World War II and its aftermath into American living rooms. The chair was funded by more than 40 donors including the Bingham family of Louisville, KY, the Westinghouse/CBS Foundation, the Paley Foundation, and many friends and associates of Murrow.