Meredith Kopit Levien is an American media executive who was CEO of The New York Times Company during its sharp increase in anti-transgender coverage. Under Kopit Levien’s watch, the New York Times parent company continued its trans-exclusionary hiring practices for journalists and maintained its hostile workplace environment for trans-supportive employees.
No transgender journalist or executive has appeared on the New York Times masthead since its founding in 1851. In 2023 the San Francisco Chronicle cited a Times employee who said the organization has no trans reporters.
Background
Meredith Andrea Kopit was born February 28, 1971 to Carole Toby Kopit (born 1941) and Marvin Kopit (1940–2012). Levien grew up in Richmond, Virginia. Kopit Levien earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia in 1993.
Kopit Levien worked in a series of digital advertising roles at i33/AppNet, Atlantic Media, and Forbes Media, where Levien diluted the brand with “Brandvoice” that allowed brands to self-promote as Forbes contributors. The controversial practice was very lucrative, and Kopit Levien became chief revenue officer in 2012.
In 2013 Kopit Levien joined the New York Times Company as head of advertising. Kopit Levien implemented “paid posts” there as well, which earned a promotion to chief revenue officer in 2015. Kopit Levien revamped the ad department and ran a brand campaign. In 2017 Kopit Levien was named COO. In 2020 Kopit Levien became CEO and joined the Board.
Kopit Levien is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute and serves on the board of directors of Instacart.
Kopit Levien was married to sports executive Jason Miles Levien (born May 17, 1971). They have one child named Justice, born in 2010.
References
Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of ‘editorial bias’ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/
Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Times’ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making
Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paper’s trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage
Eckert, AJ. What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/
USPATH and WPATH respond to NY Times article “They Paused Puberty, But Is There a Cost? published on November 14, 2022 (PDF). https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/Public%20Policies/2022/USPATHWPATH%20Statement%20re%20Nov%2014%202022%20NYT%20Article%20Nov%2022%202022.pdf
Urquhart, Evan (November 17, 2022). The NYT’s big piece on puberty blockers mucked up the most important point about them. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/puberty-blockers-side-effects-controversy.html
Oladipo, Gloria (February 18, 2023). Nearly 1,000 contributors protest New York Times’ coverage of trans people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/new-york-times-contributors-open-letter-protest-anti-trans-coverage
Migdon, Brooke (February 15, 2023). NYT contributors blast paper’s coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3859501-nyt-contributors-blast-papers-coverage-of-transgender-people/
Yurcaba, Jo (February 16, 2023). N.Y. Times contributors and LGBTQ advocates send open letters criticizing paper’s trans coverage. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ny-contributors-lgbtq-advocates-send-open-letters-criticizing-papers-t-rcna70800
Paul, Larisha (February 15, 2023). Gabrielle Union, Tommy Dorfman, more accuse NYT of ‘Harmful’ coverage of trans people. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/new-york-times-coverage-of-trans-people-open-letter-1234680299/
Kalish, Lil. These New York Times contributors say the paper’s coverage of gender issues is hurting trans people. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/trans-writers-open-letter-nyt-biased-coverage
Hays, Gabriel (February 15, 2023). Celebs rip into New York Times for ‘irresponsible’ transgender coverage: Demand end to ‘both sides’ focus. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/celebs-rip-new-york-times-irresponsible-transgender-coverage-demand-end-both-sides-focus
Dunlap, David W. (June 19, 2017). How The Times gave ‘gay’ its own voice (again). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paper’s anti-trans coverage. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage
Davies, Rachel (February 16, 2023). The NYT knew what it was doing with its ‘Defense of J.K. Rowling’. The Mary Sue. https://www.themarysue.com/the-nyt-knew-what-it-was-doing-with-its-defense-of-j-k-rowling/
Warrington, James (February 16, 2023). How the New York Times was engulfed by a trans culture war. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/02/15/new-york-times-accused-writers-anti-trans-bigotry/
Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 16, 2023). NYT editors: Paper ‘will not tolerate’ its journalists protesting coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3862101-nyt-editors-paper-will-not-tolerate-its-journalists-protesting-coverage-of-transgender-people/amp/
Veazey, Kyle (February 16, 2013). Jason Levien followed roundabout path to Grizzlies’ front office. The Commercial Appeal [archive] https://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/grizzlies/jason-levien-followed-roundabout-path-to-grizzlies-front-office-ep-362544418-329050301.html
-https://archive.ph/TZc26
Pompeo, Joe (September 29, 2014). Going native at the Times. Capital New York. [archive] http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/09/8553419/going-native-emtimesem
Brown, Abram (March 11, 2023). The News Business Is in Crisis—but Not The New York Times Co. The Information https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-news-business-is-in-crisis-but-not-the-new-york-times-co
Resources
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