Gene Roberts

Gene Roberts is an American journalist and professor of journalism. Roberts was executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1972 to 1990 and managing editor of The New York Times from 1994 to 1997. Roberts is widely viewed by his peers as among the most influential of late 20th Century journalists. He is credited with reviving the Philadelphia Inquirer and leading it from a second-place daily to one of the best regional newspapers in the c... more

Gene Roberts is an American journalist and professor of journalism. Roberts was executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer from 1972 to 1990 and managing editor of The New York Times from 1994 to 1997. Roberts is widely viewed by his peers as among the most influential of late 20th Century journalists. He is credited with reviving the Philadelphia Inquirer and leading it from a second-place daily to one of the best regional newspapers in the country. Largely, he did this by recruiting young, talented journalists and then giving them a free hand both in time and space to write compelling investigative stories under the tutelage of senior editors. Such nationally known writers as Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down) and Richard Ben Cramer (What It Takes) worked at the Inquirer. Perhaps the most famous and longest lasting investigative team ever — Jim Steele and Don Barlett — flourished under Roberts. The Inquirer won 17 Pulitzer Prizes during his 18 years as executive editor. Roberts grew... less