A News Director for Culture

I'm delighted to announce that Marjorie Olster will be joining the Culture desk as the news director.

In this new role, Marjorie will work closely with Jason Bailey, Kevin Flynn and Mike Peed to enhance our daily coverage through breaking news articles, quick-turn follow-ups, explainers, live coverage and more. She will also help generate ambitious enterprise around the desk's most important storylines and look for ways to enlighten readers about the buzziest moments in the arts and entertainment world.

Marjorie joins us from the International desk in London, where she has worked since joining The Times in 2018 from The Wall Street Journal. She has served as Middle East regional editor since 2022, and has edited groundbreaking and award-winning coverage of six wars and conflicts. She also helped oversee coverage of the 2023 earthquake that claimed more than 50,000 lives in Turkey and Syria, including a poignant snapshot of Syrians who felt as though the world had forgotten them and a piece tracking a year in the life of the surviving members of a Turkish family that was dug out of rubble on the day the earthquake struck.

"I've always thought of Marjorie as an International desk warrior," said Phil Pan, International editor, "not because of the many global conflicts she's helped us cover over the years, but because of the passion she brings to every aspect of editing - her relationships with her reporters; her commitment to the craft and the pursuit of truth; her creativity in the face of change. It'll be exciting to see her in this new role."

As Adrienne Carter, Europe editor, put it, "From news to enterprise, Marjorie has been a steady force on International. She, of course, brought vast knowledge to her various roles, most notably as a Middle East editor during a period of great change and neverending news. But it was her grace, humor and sharp eye that distinguished her work - and made her a go-to editor for our team."

Please join us in welcoming her to the team.

- Sia Michel