MLK50: Justice Through Journalism named Adrienne Johnson Martin as the nonprofit newsroom’s first executive editor. She will begin her tenure starting September 7th.
“The strength of Adrienne’s ideas and her passion for justice made her the perfect choice for this job,” said Wendi C. Thomas, founding editor and publisher of MLK50. “As we move from startup mode to sustainability, it’s essential that our leadership bench has depth and that’s what Adrienne brings. I am elated that she’s joining the team and I look forward to building the organization together.”
Johnson Martin is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. She recently held the position of managing editor for Duke Magazine, Duke University’s alumni publication, and has plenty of previous journalism experience. She worked at the Los Angeles Times as a copy editor and writer, and was part of the 1994 team that won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Northridge earthquake. She also covered radio, television, and film for the The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, before becoming the publication’s associate features editor.
“I love that I’ll have the chance to be in community with a team that knows we don’t have to live in a zero-sum world and is committed to telling the stories of those on the losing side of that paradigm,” said Johnson Martin. “These are journalists who use their talents in service of justice. What’s better than that?
“The executive editor job is an incredible opportunity for me to support Wendi’s vision and to ensure that MLK50 becomes embraced by and deeply embedded in the Memphis community.”
