Jelani Cobb Appointed New Dean Of Journalism School

Upper West Side NY

26 May, 2022

4:10 PM

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By Irie Sentner, Columbia Daily Spectator • May 13, 2022, 9:27 PM Jelani Cobb has been appointed as the next dean of the Journalism School, University President Lee Bollinger announced in a news release today. He will officially begin in the role August 1. Cobb, the Ira A. Lipman Professor of Journalism, has worked at the Journalism School since 2016. He currently serves as the director of the Ira A. Lipman Center for Journalism and Civil and Human Rights, which seeks to provide "leadership for the journalism community by informing and shaping the ways in which we understand race, diversity, civil and human rights." The center has established annual fellowships intended to produce significant civil and human rights reportage and hosted a speaker series on civil and human rights, as well as several panels. Cobb also teaches Covering Race, a seminar examining the effects of race on reporting and media coverage in the United States. "I am grateful to the members of the search committee for their careful and tireless work throughout this selection process—we are all delighted with this outcome and look forward to seeing how, as Dean, Jelani will shape the future of journalism education," Bollinger wrote in the release. An accomplished journalist, Cobb has worked for The New Yorker since 2012 and currently serves as a staff writer. He is the author of "The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress" and "To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic." He has also published essays and opinions in The Washington Post, The New Republic, Essence, Vibe, The Progressive, and The Root. Ahead of the 2020 election, Cobb collaborated with PBS Frontline, USA Today, Columbia Journalism Investigations, and filmmaker June Cross of the Journalism School on Peabody Award-winning documentary film "Whose Vote Counts?" Cobb will replace Steve Coll, who has served as dean since 2013. During his tenure, Coll raised over $150 million to fund new initiatives, including $50 million to expand financial aid and student access. He also launched the Lipman Center, which Cobb currently directs. The announcement comes at a time of immense change in the journalism industry, a field grappling with the rise of misinformation, shrinking revenues, and questions of equity and access in newsrooms. In March, the Journalism School announced Pamela McKelvin-Jefferson as its inaugural director of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Earlier this month, it released 21 recommendations to "improve the J-school environment," including a reporting system for instances of "disrespect, microaggressions, discriminatory actions and comments" and an annual DEI performance survey. "Jelani's vision for the future of the Journalism School is one that embraces the vital role of journalism in our society, on a local and global scale, and the need to ensure our graduates are as well prepared as possible for an incredibly dynamic and changing field," Bollinger wrote. Cobb did not respond to Spectator's requests for comment at the time of publication. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.