Audrey Cooper

Audrey Cooper (born ) is an American journalist and news executive. She is the editor in chief of The Baltimore Banner, a position she began in October 2025. Cooper was previously the editor in chief of the San Francisco Chronicle from 2015 to 2020, where she was the first woman to hold the position in the newspaper's 150-year history. She later served as senior vice president of news and editor in chief of WNYC in New York City from 2020 to 2025.

Early life and education Cooper was born in Topeka, Kansas. She was raised outside Kansas City, Kansas. While in college, she became a public radio devotee and volunteered to answer phones during pledge drives at a local station, an experience she says inspired her to become a journalist.

Career Cooper began her journalism career as a reporter for the Associated Press on the West Coast. She also worked for the Tri-Valley Herald and the Stockton Record. She eventually became the metro editor for The Record in Stockton, California.

San Francisco Chronicle In 2006, Cooper joined the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle as an assistant metro editor. The newspaper's paid digital readership grew sixfold. Her primary charge was to integrate the station's radio newsroom with that of Gothamist, a nonprofit news site WNYC had acquired. The decision was met with backlash from the newsroom, where reporters stated the practice had been common, and over 60 employees signed a letter asking for Mogul's reinstatement. SAG-AFTRA asked for New York Public Radio's board of directors to begin an independent investigation into Cooper's actions at WNYC. The legal disputes were settled in February 2022. During her time at WNYC, at least five newsroom employees were fired or laid off, and at least eighteen others resigned. Despite the internal conflict, Cooper's leadership saw WNYC become a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for the first time, and she increased the diversity of the staff.

The Baltimore Banner Cooper was named the next editor in chief of The Baltimore Banner, a nonprofit news organization, with a start date of October 13, 2025.

Personal life As of 2015, Cooper was married and had a son who was two years old. While living in San Francisco, she rode a brightly colored Vespa and volunteered as a guide for walking tours of neighborhoods like the Haight-Ashbury and North Beach. When she moved to New York for her position at WNYC, she purchased a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn. As of 2022, she is a registered Democrat in New York. Cooper and her family planned to move to Baltimore by the end of 2025.