Former USA Today deputy editorial page editor David Mastio tells Fox News Digital why he left the Gannett-owned newspaper and how he feels it's alienating half its potential readership.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!The editor-in-chief of USA Today is exiting the company after roughly one year on the job.
Fox News Digital has confirmed that Caren Bohan, who joined USA Today in 2018, is leaving the Gannett-owned paper after being tapped as its top editor in September 2024.
"Caren Bohan has been a valued colleague during her tenure at USA Today. We sincerely wish her well and thank her for her many contributions," USA Today Senior Vice President Monica Richardson said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
A spokesperson for USA Today declined further comment.
USA TODAY DELETING SEN. JOHN KENNEDY'S OP-ED IS LATEST OF BIZARRE MOVES BY NEWSPAPER GIANT
Caren Bohen, pictured here at the 2012 White House Correspondents' Dinner, is exiting USA Today after roughly a year as its editor-in-chief.? (Reuters/Larry Downing)
According to The New York Times, the paper has tapped Michael McCarter, USA Today's group editor of its opinion section, to be its interim editor-in-chief.
Notably, Bohan's predecessor, Terence Samuel, also served a brief stint as editor-in-chief, leaving USA Today in July 2024 after he stepped into the role in July 2023. Bohan was initially appointed as the paper's interim editor-in-chief during a search for a permanent one, which she ultimately became. McCarter previously served as the interim editor-in-chief before Samuel's appointment.
GANNETT, OWNER OF USA TODAY, OTHER NEWSPAPERS, SCALING BACK OPINION PAGES TO COMBAT ‘BIASED’ PERCEPTION
USA Today has had a revolving door of editor-in-chiefs in recent years.? (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Newspapers owned by Gannett, like many others across the country, have been struggling financially in recent years. According to NewsGuild, Gannett slashed 47% of its workforce?between 2020 and 2023 due to layoffs.
Gannett has made moves in an attempt to shake off perceptions of political bias. In 2022, it began scaling back its opinion pages after its editors concluded that "readers don’t want us to tell them what to think."
USA TODAY UNDER FIRE FOR ALLOWING STACEY ABRAMS TO RETROACTIVELY EDIT OP-ED TO DOWNPLAY BOYCOTT SUPPORT
In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, USA Today joined other papers like The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times in choosing not to make an endorsement.
"While USA Today will not endorse for president, local editors at publications across the USA Today Network have the discretion to endorse at a state or local level," USA Today spokesperson Lark-Marie Antón told Fox News Digital at the time.
"Why are we doing this? Because we believe America's future is decided locally, one race at a time. And with more than 200 publications across the nation, our public service is to provide readers with the facts that matter and the trusted information they need to make informed decisions."
USA Today joined The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times in not endorsing a presidential candidate in the 2024 election. (Getty Images)
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