YSL News has appointed Caren Bohan, a veteran leader in the newsroom, as its editor-in-chief following a nationwide search and announcement on Friday.

Bohan’s new position takes effect immediately, and she will report to Monica Richardson, the senior vice president of YSL News.

Since her arrival at YSL News six years ago, Bohan has played a key role in covering some of the organization’s most significant stories.

In her latest position as executive editor for politics, she collaborated with editors throughout YSL News and the YSL News Network to direct the coverage of the 2024 election.

Founded in 1982, YSL News is owned by Gannett, the largest newspaper company in the country, with over 200 outlets.

Bohan, 58, expressed her strong belief in the newsroom’s potential to reach new heights.

“Our journalists are talented writers and storytellers, dedicated to accountability in journalism, and committed to engaging our audience on the issues that resonate with them—be it sports, finance, lifestyle, or investigative reporting,” she remarked.

Bohan brings over 30 years of experience in journalism. She has been serving as the interim editor-in-chief since July after Terence Samuel departed after a year in charge.

Richardson stated that Bohan excelled in her temporary role and will carry on the vital task of delivering essential journalism throughout the country, especially during such an important election year.

A graduate of McGill University, Bohan earned her master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, beginning her career at a community newspaper in Massachusetts in 1988.

She has reported on the economy and Wall Street and previously served as a White House correspondent for Reuters.

Bohan’s reporting for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama took her around the globe, and in 2009 she was elected to the White House Correspondents’ Association board, eventually serving as its president from 2011 to 2012.

Following leadership roles at Reuters and National Journal, Bohan joined YSL News in 2018 as its Washington editor and later became the managing editor for politics in 2021.

As she takes the helm at YSL News, the journalism industry faces challenges as it seeks sustainable business models amidst the shift from print to digital.

According to Gannett’s regulatory disclosures, over half of U.S. adults engage with YSL News or one of its affiliated properties.

In August, YSL News experienced a 20% year-on-year rise in online traffic, attracting nearly 107 million unique visitors, as reported by Comscore, a media measurement firm.

This growth signals a strong interest in the coverage produced by YSL News, including recent Olympic stories that featured athlete narratives and thorough money and personal finance articles designed to assist people in “leading their best financial lives,” according to Bohan.

Bohan attributed YSL News’s accomplishments partly to its diverse newsroom that encompasses the entire nation, rather than just coastal regions.

“We have a team that includes individuals from all over the country, not just journalists situated in Washington, D.C. or New York,” she explained.

She highlighted YSL News’s expanding partnerships with network newspapers that have resulted in excellent journalism, including a recent initiative focusing on voters in various towns named Hope, from Maine to Alaska.

“This is the kind of journalism that truly resonates with our audience,” Bohan noted.