The board of the Washington Square News is elated to announce it has elected Ashley Wu as editor-in-chief for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters in 2021 and 2022.

Wu, a 20-year-old native of Georgia and former deputy managing editor of the WSN, takes over from Alexandria Johnson, who led a team of editors and reporters to rebuild the WSN during a challenging period in the institution’s history. The board selected Wu after she shared her vision for strengthening WSN’s editorial standards and creating an inclusive newsroom. 

“We were all impressed with Ashley’s passion for journalism and her plans to help the paper and its staff continue to grow and thrive in this ever-changing media environment,” said Jane C. Timm, chairman of the board of the Washington Square News, former reporter for the WSN and senior reporter at NBC News.

“I am humbled to be elected editor-in-chief of Washington Square News,” Wu said. “We need bravery, investigative work and student voices more than ever before. As we enter new territory in journalism and beyond, I am excited to explore new methods of storytelling and uphold WSN’s standard of journalistic integrity.”

“When Ashley was promoted to deputy managing editor, I knew that she would be able to handle the responsibilities of the newsroom,” Johnson said. “Knowing that Ashley will take over Washington Square News gives me relief and comfort that the newspaper’s content will continue to be held to a high standard.”

Wu becomes editor-in-chief with immediate effect and will begin building the newsroom leadership team in the coming weeks. She will work closely with Yejin Chang, who the board selected as WSN’s business manager for the same term. Chang takes over from Mel Bautista.

As editor-in-chief, Wu immediately joins the independent board of the Washington Square News, which comprises four alumni, the editor-in-chief, a second editorial staffer, the business manager, a second business staffer and the outgoing editor-in-chief.

To contact the board and transition committee, write to [email protected]

For students interesting in joining the WSN staff:

Wu has asked returning staffers, as well students interested in joining, to fill out  this form. WSN seeks students interested in reporting, editing, commentary, design, graphics, photo, video and social media.

To contact Wu, email [email protected].