1st Black editor named to lead Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution named Leroy Chapman Jr. its new top editor Thursday, March 29, 2023, making him the first Black editor to lead the Journal-Constitution in its 155-year history. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday named Leroy Chapman Jr. as its new editor-in-chief, making him the first Black editor to lead the newspaper in its 155-year history.

Chapman, 52, has worked in journalism for nearly three decades and has spent the past 12 years at the Journal-Constitution, serving as its managing editor since 2021. Publisher Andrew Morse said he’s proud that the newspaper found the best person for the job within its own ranks.

“There’s truly nobody better suited to lead this newsroom,” Morse said in an interview, adding: “He has the respect of the newsroom, he is an innovative thinker, and he has the highest journalistic standard that you could image.”