Dean Baquet Will Lead Local Investigative Fellowship Program for The Times

Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The New York Times, will step down in June after eight years at the newspaper.

Mr. Baquet told his journalists to investigate investigations that could yield the highest possible impact. He and a group of investigative editors plan to teach young journalists how to do investigative work.

The Times has always wanted to do something about the crisis in local news. Local journalism is not doing well.

The Times will allow local news organizations in the affected areas to publish without charge with the help of the fellows.

Mr. Baquet said that candidates would include young journalists who might not have the time or money to finish a long-term project.

He didn't say how much The Times would spend on the fellowship program, but he said it was a significant investment.

The start date and details of the yearlong fellowship are still being worked out, but Mr. Baquet said on Tuesday that he would make a full-time commitment to running the program after he steps down as executive editor.

Mr. Baquet said he was planning on working long hours.

He said he would be involved in the reporting and editing. The editors will work full-time on the fellowship, but not from The Times desks.

The newsroom fellowship and editing residency are two programs that provide mentorship to early-career reporters and editors.

The publisher of The Times raised the idea of a new fellowship program earlier this year, according to Mr. Baquet.

Mr. Baquet said it was a way for him to give back to the profession. It was a way for me to teach young journalists how to do investigative reporting.

The news release said that Mr. Baquet's deep passion for local and investigative work would make him a good candidate for the fellowship.

The decline of local investigative journalism is a national tragedy, as fewer and fewer people across the country have access to information about their community and many local news outlets lack journalists who can uncover wrongdoing in local governments.

It is our hope that this fellowship can play a small role in addressing this dangerous and growing societal gap.

Mr. Baquet began his journalism career in New Orleans at The Times-Picayune, where he won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative work that uncovered corruption in City Council committee spending.

During his time as executive editor of The Times, the newsroom won 18 Pulitzer Prizes during a time when Donald J. Trump was president and the world was in a state of crisis.

Mr. Baquet wants the fellows to think of stories on a local level when they start at The Times.

I think that local investigative reporting can find a bigger audience.

He wanted to make sure the stories wouldn't be told through a national lens.

He said we should look at institutions in Oklahoma and Louisiana.