What do you want to know about The New York Times’ success? Don’t miss executive editor Joe Kahn’s keynote at ISOJ 2023

It can easily be argued that The New York Times is the newspaper that has made the most successful transition to the digital age to date. With almost 10 million paid subscribers – and the ambitious goal of reaching 15 million by 2027 – and a record number of journalists (1,700), The Times has become a laboratory of innovation in online journalism.

Journalists, media executives, journalism professors and students from around the world who have registered for the 24th International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ) will have the opportunity to hear insight on how The Times reached the unique position it fills today as a global newspaper.

Joseph Kahn, executive editor of The New York Times, will open day two of ISOJ 2023 in conversation with Evan Smith, co-founder and senior advisor of The Texas Tribune and senior advisor at the Emerson Collective. They’ll take the stage at 9:00 a.m. U.S. Central Time on Saturday, April 15.

When Kahn was named executive editor of The Times in April 2022 and then formally moved into the role in June, he was described as “sturdy, disciplined” and “measured.”

At the time, he spoke to national news outlets about maintaining independence at The Times and commitments to democracy, reporters placing less emphasis on Twitter, dedications to diversity, the need for objective and transparent journalism, and more.

The same articles highlighted his achievements with online news, especially the Live desk, which brings readers breaking news bulletins from around the globe, around the clock.

“We’re still in the early years of developing that and proving it out, but to me, it’s one of the most exciting unlocks of our journalistic expertise,” he told New York Magazine’s Intelligencer in April 2022.

The world-renowned publication is also seeing rising revenue with growth in the digital sphere.

In February 2023, The Times reported having added more than one million digital-only subscribers the previous year. The publication now has 9.6 million paying subscribers, but aims to hit 15 million by the end of 2027.

Kahn has had a long career at The Times, joining the publication in 1998. He’s held many roles, notably a foreign post in China, and as editor and head of the International desk. Most recently, he had been managing editor since 2016.

Prior to The Times, he worked at The Dallas Morning News and The Wall Street Journal. He won the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting twice (2006 and 1994).

To catch Kahn in conversation with Smith at ISOJ 2023, register today to attend this unique global conference in person or virtually.

ISOJ, which began in 1999, brings together journalists, media executives, scholars and students to discuss the impact of technology on journalism today and in the future. It is an innovative conference that bridges the gap between the news industry and academia. 

For updates and additional information, you can visit ISOJ’s website, Twitter or Facebook. If you have any questions, please contact us at isoj@austin.utexas.edu.