Newsday taps Baird Helgeson of Houston Chronicle as managing editor

Newsday Media Group has named Baird Helgeson of the Houston Chronicle as its next managing editor, the No. 2 job in the newsroom.

Helgeson, who serves as the Chronicle’s assistant managing editor for local news, will join Newsday on Nov. 18, incoming editor and chief content officer Rochell Bishop Sleets announced Thursday.

Helgeson, 52, has worked at the Chronicle for about two years, leading a team of journalists that covers Houston and its suburbs as well as breaking news, education, local government and trends.

He joined the Chronicle in 2023 after more than a decade as an editor and reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Minnesota Star Tribune.

At the Star Tribune, Helgeson was part of a team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News for coverage of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer. Floyd’s death led to protests and unrest in Minneapolis as well as across the country.

“I was overseeing the day-to-day coverage from the moment Floyd was killed through the rioting,” Helgeson said in an interview. “It was traumatic ... It also was an incredible moment, where a newsroom came together to produce really informed coverage.”

Another recent Newsday hire, Thom Kupper, assistant managing editor for government and politics, shared in the Pulitzer honor.

Helgeson grew up in south Minneapolis, where his late father, Tom, was the deputy managing editor of the former Minneapolis Star before leaving to start Midwest Fly Fishing magazine, along with a fly-fishing shop and eventually a trade show. The younger Helgeson wrote articles for the magazine, and his mother, Julie, worked in the shop. “I’m a lifelong fly angler,” he said.

Helgeson graduated from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism. He then worked as a reporter for daily newspapers in Minot, North Dakota; Duluth, Minnesota; and Tampa, Florida.

Helgeson met and married his wife, Kathy, then a photojournalist, while both were employed at the Tampa Tribune. They have two teenage sons.

Helgeson said he “never imagined working in the New York media market,” but is “excited and humbled for this opportunity.”

He continued: “I can make good change here. I want to make sure that Newsday remains and is always the authority on the most important stories in the region.”

Helgeson succeeds Sleets, who joined Newsday in 2023 as managing editor after working at the Chicago Tribune for 16 years.

“From his deep-rooted experience as a local government reporter to his stellar editing work on the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the George Floyd killing, Baird has proven that he is all about uncovering truth,” Sleets said. “Baird is committed to local quality journalism and building connection and trust with Long Islanders, who are at the heart of what we do.”

Added Newsday publisher Debby Krenek: “We are thrilled to have Baird join our award-winning Newsday team as managing editor. His extensive experience in local journalism and newsroom leadership will be an asset as we continue to expand Newsday's deep coverage of Long Island across all our platforms, including NewsdayTV."

Separately, Newsday has hired Adeshina Emmanuel to be assistant managing editor for business news. He most recently was managing editor of local news at Capital B, an online publication, and will succeed Margaret Corvini, who recently retired. Emmanuel also will start in November. 

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.