Swati Sharma, 35

Editor-in-chief, Vox Washington, D.C.

Former managing editor at The Atlantic Swati Sharma was tapped as Vox’s new editor-in-chief in February.

She joined The Atlantic in January 2018 and guided its digital coverage, overseeing all of the site’s sections—politics, Culture, Technology, Ideas, Science, Family, Global, Health—and was instrumental in the record growth of The Atlantic’s audience.

Before The Atlantic, Sharma spent more than four years at The Washington Post as deputy general assignment editor and as foreign and national security digital editor. Earlier in her career, Sharma worked at The Boston Globe, where she coordinated live coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing, which was cited in the Globe’s Pulitzer Prize for breaking news.

What are you most excited about in the news industry today?

I’m hopeful because of the conversations happening today and the future possibilities they present. As I always say: journalism is only as great as the culture you create in a newsroom. The tough conversations we’re having today around diversity, equity, and inclusion and the burnout journalists are feeling will hopefully lead to changes we need in our industry.

I’m also acutely aware of the wellknown crisis of reader’s faltering trust in journalism. I believe that we have an opportunity to win back readers, and to reach new and diverse audiences. If anything, the need for journalism feels more urgent and more valuable than ever, and I think it’s up to us to make sure we’re delivering stories in a way that will resonate with people.

What is your advice for aspiring women journalists?

Never forget who you are and why you’re a journalist. If you have a very clear sense of what drives you, the hurdles will be a little bit easier, and it will be more difficult to stray from your path. To quote the amazing journalist Yamiche Alcindor, who said this after one of the times former President Trump attacked her: “Be steady. Stay focused. Remember your purpose. And always press forward.”