Cheryl Carpenter named McClatchy Washington bureau chief

The McClatchy Company has announced that Cheryl Carpenter, managing editor of The Charlotte Observer, will be the new Washington bureau chief.

Carpenter, 58, joined the Observer newsroom in 1983 and has worked in every key post, including state editor, business editor, front-page editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor for the past 10 years.

Carpenter's appointment was announced at a bureau staff meeting. She'll replace Jim Asher, who is leaving to join the Injustice Project, a journalism start up, after five years of leading McClatchy's Washington operation.

"We're privileged to have the kind of talent that both Jim and Cheryl give us in the important work we do at the bureau,'' said CEO Pat Talamantes. "As we make this transition, I want to thank Jim for his service and welcome Cheryl to a position that we know will be a terrific fit."

Throughout her career, Carpenter has demonstrated a passion for aggressive local coverage and public service journalism. Work that she helped edit and lead has been honored as Pulitzer Prize finalists three times, for public service in 1995 and 2008 and local reporting in 2013. She has also served on the Pulitzer Prize judging panel and is a 2004 Harvard University Neiman Fellow.

"I'm honored to join this team," said Carpenter. "The DC Bureau's reputation for insightful journalism is a great legacy to build on."

Carpenter holds a master's degree from Queens University and bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.