AJR  The Beat
From AJR,   January/February 1999

He Loves New York   

The Washington Post's New York bureau chief jumps over to the Times.

By Lori Robertson
Lori Robertson (robertson.lori@gmail.com), a former AJR managing editor, is a senior contributing writer for the magazine.      



Blaine Harden simply wanted to write about New York City and be read by the people who live there. And so, the Washington Post New York bureau chief says goodbye to his employer of 21 years and takes an offer from an NYC daily. Starting in January, Harden, 46, will report for the New York Times Metro section and the paper's magazine. ``The Post has been really great to me," Harden says. ``I just about went nuts deciding whether I wanted to leave or not." Times Metro Editor Joyce Purnick is glad he made the switch. Purnick says she remembers reading Harden's stories in the Post and thinking, ``this guy really gets New York." While the Post has not yet named a new chief, staff writer Michael Grunwald temporarily moves up to the New York bureau.

###