Times Seeks White House Reporter

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:02:37 -0400

The New York Times is looking for a reporter to move to the White House beat, as the paper continues restoring its depleted Washington bureau. A memo went out to the newsroom this morning announcing the opening and referring interested applicants to the Times' internal newsletter.

The beat has traditionally been shared by three reporters, but the Times has found itself needing to fill two of slots this year. In January, reporter Dick Stevenson was promoted to deputy bureau chief, and Elisabeth Bumiller is scheduled to go away on book leave in June. Jim Rutenberg, currently City Hall bureau chief in New York, has been tapped to take over one of the White House spots this spring.

Bumiler's book project, a biography of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will also cause reshuffling on the State Department beat. Executive editor Bill Keller has told current correspondent Steven Weisman, Bumiller's husband, to vacade the diplomatic beat to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest. According to Times sources, Helene Cooper, currently an assistant editor on the Times' editorial board, will transfer back to the news pages this summer to take over for Weisman. Cooper was an assistant D.C. bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal before coming to the Times.

--Gabriel Sherman

Observer » Times Seeks White House Reporter

Times Seeks White House Reporter