Inside Sewell Chan’s brief, horrible editorship of the Columbia Journalism Review (from my perspective)

Sewell Chan departed the Columbia Journalism Review today. An email from the school said only that he is “no longer with” the publication. There’s a world behind those deftly chosen words. Here is what I know of it.

I’ll open this account with a piece of dialogue. 

“SIT CLOSER SIT CLOSER”

“Sewell, I’m right here. I’m just leaning back in my chair.” 

“SIT CLOSER SIT CLOSER” 

“You don’t have to shout. I understand you’re under pressure, but it’s not going to help us to…”

“COME CLOSER” 

It was October 23, 2024. I was the digital editor at the Columbia Journalism Review. Sewell Chan had officially been the full-time executive editor for a month or so. And he had landed a story he considered a huge scoop – about presidential endorsements at the Los Angeles Times. 

I knew this because he had stood in his office, about 20 feet from mine, and screamed my name at the top of his lungs several times over until I jogged over to figure out what was happening. 

He was in a state of profound agitation. Near violence. He insisted I sit extremely close to him as he wrote his story. Afterwards, as I edited it, he stood nearby and just screamed “UP UP UP UP” repeatedly, which I took to mean he wanted the story published quickly. 

After the story was done, I asked him politely to act with courtesy and professionalism in the office in future. That it was not OK by me to be yelled at, no matter the story at issue. At this point he began to tug at his ear, with…

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