Lynn Jacobson, managing editor of The Seattle Times, is retiring after more than three decades at the paper. She will be succeeded on Saturday by Matt Canham, who previously served as deputy managing editor and oversaw local news. Colleagues praised Jacobson’s contributions; executive editor Mónica Guzmán Flores said Jacobson is most responsible for shaping the newsroom’s modern culture.
Jacobson’s journalism career began in arts and culture. A graduate of the University of Washington and New York University, she wrote about theater in New York and, after returning to Seattle, taught arts criticism and oversaw a student newspaper. She joined The Seattle Times in 2000 as an arts section assistant editor and gradually moved into leadership roles.
Jacobson became managing editor in May 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when trust in traditional media was low. She helped make the paper the primary source of reliable information about the virus for the region’s residents. In her view, the shared anxieties and challenges of that time brought journalists and readers closer together.
That reader-centered approach—focusing on how global events affect people’s everyday lives—became a hallmark of the paper under her leadership. The strategy paid off: The Seattle Times is now the largest newspaper in its region by circulation, with more than 108,000 digital subscribers and steady print numbers. The paper retains a unique ownership structure, owned by the Blethen family, which has run it for more than 125 years. That sets it apart from many other large American papers owned by media conglomerates or individual billionaires, and helps preserve editorial independence and a local focus.
The new managing editor, 45-year-old Matt Canham, joined The Seattle Times in late 2021 after nearly 20 years at The Salt Lake Tribune. He was hired to lead the local news department during a difficult period marked by high turnover, partly driven by the pandemic and widespread staff departures across the country.
Canham says he takes the reins at an opportune moment, with a strong readership and expanding geographic coverage. One of his key objectives will be bolstering political reporting at local, state and national levels—especially in light of generational turnover among Washington politicians and major federal initiatives. Priority coverage in the state will remain the housing crisis and affordability, homelessness, public transit development, environmental issues and the transition to green energy, as well as the impact of tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft on the economy and city life.
Thus, one significant chapter at The Seattle Times is closing and another is beginning. As publisher Ryan Blethen noted, life in the newsroom won’t be the same without Lynn Jacobson, who daily demonstrated what it means to be a patient and empathetic colleague. In addition to editorial challenges, the paper faces competition from digital rivals such as the analytical outlet Crosscut, the alternative weekly The Stranger and public radio KUOW.
Based on: Managing Editor Lynn Jacobson retires from The Seattle Times