Philip Bennett, former managing editor of The Washington Post, has been named the Eugene C. Patterson professor of the practice of journalism and public policy studies, according to a statement released Tuesday. He will begin teaching in the Fall.
Bennett is a renowned journalist with experience covering both international affairs and the Washington political scene. During his time at The Washington Post, the paper won 10 Pulitzer Prizes, including awards for capturing Iraqi perspectives after the United States invasion in 2003 and for its coverage of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
"He will continue a long tradition of extraordinary teachers here," said Bruce Kuniholm, director of the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy. Bennett is replacing former Time Magazine editor Susan Tifft, who has held the position since 1998.
Although Bennett has lectured at universities in the past, the Patterson professorship will mark his first time teaching.
Bennett will teach three courses-one in media ethics and two that he will design. He steps into this role as a new member of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy, a Sanford program which is promoting exploration of innovative models for news organizations in the digital era.
Bennett has worked in Peru as editor of The Lima Times and served as the Mexico bureau chief for The Boston Globe. Administrators said they believe Bennett's international experience will benefit both students and faculty.
"He is much more aware of things going on in the world at large," Kuniholm said, adding that Bennett worked to ensure that The Washington Post covered international events with a global perspective.
Bennett said he believes journalism's place in society is to facilitate discussion that spans across cultural boundaries.
"Clearly we are living in a world in which nearly all the forces that are influencing our lives are global," he said. "Journalism is one of the ways to track and describe those forces."
Bennett said it is important for journalists to connect themes and events that are seemingly unrelated. He does not view stories in terms of local, national or international news because they are all connected, he said.
"Journalism is in the business of stories," Bennett said. "It's about trying to tell the stories that describe what is really going on in a way that connects seemingly unrelated events."
At newspapers across the country, the business of story-telling has been struggling.
As traditional business models for newspapers are becoming outdated, there is an increased demand for alternative financing options. In addition to having worked in print media for his entire career, Bennett has an extensive background in helping newspapers be more financially viable in the digital age, said Jay Hamilton, director of the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy.
"The Patterson chair will be a continuation of what he's already been doing as the managing editor of the Washington Post," Hamilton said. "It's true that when he started in journalism in the 1980s it was all about the newspaper, but he has actually been working on how to be a newspaper online for the last five years."
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