WaPo managing editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz named SF Chronicle editor-in-chief

Washington Post managing editor Emilio Garcia-Ruiz has been named the new editor-in-chief at the San Francisco Chronicle, the paper’s owner, Hearst Newspapers, announced Thursday.

“Emilio has an impressive track record of innovation and producing great journalism on all platforms,” said Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst Newspapers, in a statement announcing Garcia-Ruiz’s addition to the publication.

“As we continue to develop our digital and video strategies, his experience and leadership will greatly benefit the Chronicle and the communities we serve.”

Garcia-Ruiz, who served as one of four managing editors at the Post under executive editor Marty Baron, had been with the publication for more than two decades.

During his time at the paper, Garcia-Ruiz helped make the Post one of the most-read digital news sites worldwide. Monthly traffic currently surpasses 100 million U.S. visitors, while digital subscriptions top 2.5 million. 

“The opportunity to lead the Chronicle’s newsroom at a time when local news has never been more vital was impossible to pass up,” Garcia-Ruiz said in an interview about the job.

“In the Bay Area, you have an iconic city and an entire region whose entire identity is being challenged by numerous forces. The Chronicle newsroom has the talent and ambition to tell the story well, and I want to be part of it. And I believe the lessons we have learned at The Post can be applied to the audience and financial challenges facing local news.”

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in cutbacks at the Chronicle as advertising revenue plummeted, a scenario many media organizations have experienced since March. The print side of the business has also suffered over recent years as digital readership continues to surge.

The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1855. Bill Nagel has served as publisher since 2018.