Richard Tofel

Richard Tofel is an American journalist and nonprofit executive known for his pivotal role in establishing and leading major investigative journalism organizations. He served as the founding general manager and later president of the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica, which has won multiple Pulitzer Prizes for its work. Tofel has also held leadership positions at the International Fact-Checking Network and the Wall Street Journal.

Early life and education

Tofel was born in New York City and grew up in the New York metropolitan area. He pursued his undergraduate education at Harvard College, graduating with a degree in Government. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor degree, laying a foundation for his later work at the intersection of law, media, and public policy.

Career

Tofel began his professional career as an attorney at the prestigious New York law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell. He transitioned into journalism, joining The Wall Street Journal in 1989, where he held several editorial positions, including assistant managing editor. During his tenure at the Dow Jones & Company publication, he contributed to the paper's coverage of significant events like the 1992 presidential election and the Clinton administration. He later served as the assistant publisher of The Wall Street Journal and vice president of Dow Jones & Company, overseeing corporate communications and strategy.

ProPublica leadership

In 2007, Tofel was recruited by philanthropists Herbert and Marion Sandler to help launch ProPublica, an ambitious nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism in the public interest. As its founding general manager, he was instrumental in building its operational infrastructure, securing initial funding, and establishing its editorial mission. Under the editorial leadership of Paul Steiger, the former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, Tofel helped guide ProPublica to early critical success, including its first Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for a series on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He succeeded Steiger as president of ProPublica in 2012, leading the organization through a period of expansion and further acclaim, including additional Pulitzer Prizes for reports on the United States Senate and Wall Street.

Other professional activities

After stepping down as president of ProPublica in 2021, Tofel assumed the role of president of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), a unit of the Poynter Institute dedicated to promoting factual accuracy in public discourse. In this capacity, he works with fact-checking organizations worldwide, including AFP Fact Check and FactCheck.org, to uphold standards and combat misinformation. He has also served on the boards of several journalism and legal organizations, including the American Law Institute and the Fund for Independence in Journalism. Tofel is the author of books on historical topics such as the Korean War and the United States Supreme Court.

Personal life

Tofel resides in New York City with his family. He is a frequent commentator on issues related to nonprofit journalism, media ethics, and the First Amendment, often speaking at forums hosted by institutions like the Columbia Journalism Review and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Category:American journalists Category:Harvard University alumni Category:ProPublica people