Reuters Institute Director Rasmus Nielsen will step down in September

The Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, will step down from his post at the end of September 2024. He is joining the University of Copenhagen as a Professor in the Department of Communication in October.

Nielsen will continue to collaborate directly with colleagues at the University of Oxford including on the Reuters Institute’s AI and the Future of News project, the Digital News Report, and Leadership Development programmes in the coming years as a Senior Research Associate.

Professor Rasmus Kleis Nielsen said: “The Reuters Institute is something special – a rare space for frank discussions around the future of journalism that combines diverse perspectives, robust evidence, and a global outlook. Together, I think we have been able to bring together the commitment to independence, integrity, and freedom from bias that people expect from anything carrying the Reuters name and the commitment to academic excellence that people expect from the University of Oxford. It has been an honour to serve this community as Director, and I look forward to the Institute going on to great things in the future.” 

In response to the announcement, Alan Rusbridger, Chair of the Reuters Institute’s Steering Committee, said: “Rasmus has been an inspirational leader of the Reuters Institute. He has helped transform the organisation into one which is even more respected around the world for the quality of its research and its programmes of engagement and intellectual nourishment for journalists. There are few sharper observers of an industry in perpetual revolution and we are delighted that he will keep an association with the Institute while wishing him well on the next step of his journey.”

Nick Owen, joint Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations of the University of Oxford, along with Petra Schleiter, said: “Rasmus has taken the Reuters Institute to new heights since he took over as Director six years ago. It is thanks to his great skill, leadership and dedication that it holds such a high reputation for the rigour and relevance of its work. It has been an immense pleasure to work with someone of such remarkable abilities, and we offer him every good wish for the exciting new role he is taking up.”

Antonio Zappulla, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which provides core funding for the Institute, said: “Rasmus has played such a critical role in the history of the organisation. He propelled the Institute to new heights, making it a focal point for practitioners, academics and anyone interested in understanding the trends and seismic changes affecting the profession. At a time when the media industry continues to experience fundamental challenges, the mission and work of the Institute remain even more relevant and valuable. I am tremendously grateful to Rasmus for his steadfast leadership and wish him all the best in his future endeavours, including his continued contributions to the Reuters Institute.”

Since Rasmus assumed the role as Director in 2018, the annual number of participants in the Reuters Institute’s various Journalist Programmes have grown from 20 to more than 200, the number of Leadership Development participants has grown from 32 to more than 200, and the Institute has accumulated a track record of award-winning, widely cited and increasingly global research that both academics and media industry professionals rely on. The Institute has launched new work focused on climate change, diversity in news leadership, and artificial intelligence, its public profile is greatly enhanced, and its income has grown from about £3m to about £4.5m annually.

Mitali Mukherjee, the Institute’s Director of Journalist Programmes, will be Acting Director from 1 October until a new Director is appointed. The role will be advertised later in the year.