The Anvil’s Trip to The New York Times Done

What happens inside one of the world’s finest news organizations? Anvil editors got the rare chance to find out.

Earlier this fall, a group of Anvil editors traveled to The New York Times headquarters in Manhattan for an exclusive look inside one of the world’s leading news organizations. The visit, made possible by Joe Kahn ‘83, the Executive Editor of The New York Times, offered them the remarkable opportunity to witness professional journalism in action and learn from those shaping the global news landscape. 

During their visit, the editors sat in on newsroom meetings, toured the workplace, and finally had a Q&A session with Mr. Khan. According to Editor-in-chief Gina Zhao ‘26 and Layout editor Linda Wang ‘27,  one of the most striking impressions was the sheer efficiency of the newsroom. Every editor, writer, and reporter seemed to know exactly what they were doing during meetings and online conferences.

One highlight of the day was observing the Page One Meeting, where top editors decide which stories will appear on the front page. “It happens twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon,” Gina explained, “so that editors can adjust to breaking news.” Topics ranged from the New York City elections and President Trump’s trip to Asia to coverage in the food and business columns. 

The editors were also impressed by the layers of collaboration that go into producing each issue. “Articles have to pass through multiple layers of review before publication,” Gina said, noting the rigorous fact-checking process that ensures the accuracy of every detail that appears.

The group also toured the newspaper’s printing facility, where they learned that the same presses used for The New York Times also print other publications such as the New York Daily News. “You don’t realize how much effort it takes to produce a single issue of a newspaper,” Gina reflected. “It’s not just journalists — hundreds of people work together behind the scenes.”

For Linda Wang, the visit underscored the importance of communication in the newsroom. “Even though some people work from home on certain work days, everyone still communicates constantly,” she remarks. “They have virtual meetings, Slack channels, and emails — it never stops.” Journalists are required to come to the office 3 days a week. 

Inspired by the experience, the editors discussed how lessons from The Times could strengthen The Anvil. Gina noted that more consistent communications between departments of writers, editors, and photographers could really produce more cohesive and engaging stories. She also suggested expanding The Anvil’s multimedia storytelling, using photos, videos and digital content to make stories more dynamic. Linda agreed, adding that The Times’ creative use of visual and interactive media showed how powerful design can make stories come alive and reach more people. 

The visit to The New York Times left Anvil editors with a renewed vision for our school newspaper. Seeing a world-class news organization operation reminded them of journalism’s essential mission: to inform, connect, and inspire. As they return to campus, the editors hope to apply what they’ve learned to bring to the Middlesex community stories that matter. 

Sunny Qian ‘27

image by: Lucy Wang '28