'CJR' is facing the kind of crisis it usually covers

For more than a half-century, Columbia Journalism Review has critiqued the news media from its perch at America’s most prestigious journalism school.

- Benjamin Mullin

Now, the magazine finds itself at the centre of its own story.

Last week, the Columbia Journalism School fired the publication’s editor, Sewell Chan, after many people working under him raised complaints of unprofessional or abusive behaviour. Chan was replaced on an interim basis by Betsy Morais, one of his deputies.

The leadership change leaves the magazine, a product of the Columbia Journalism School known as CJR, reeling just as it — like many of the publications it covers — is looking for a sustainable business model.

Much of Chan's job, which he began about seven months ago after holding editing positions at The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and The Texas Tribune, was to help chart that new course. CJR is in the early stages of a major fundraising campaign, with Chan as its public face until last week.

Jelani Cobb, the dean of the Columbia Journalism School and the publisher of CJR, said the school was committed to keeping the magazine alive. It hasn’t published a print edition for years but frequently updates its website with news coverage, investigations and features.

"CJR is a crucial outlet, particularly at a time when journalism is being attacked from multiple directions," Cobb said in a statement. "Like many media organisations, we're navigating real challenges, but we've developed a thoughtful, forward-looking strategy for CJR's long-term viability."