The staff of the Columbia Journalism Review is deeply sorry to report the death of our publisher, Cathryn Cranston, who lost a fight with leukemia on May 31. Cranston fell ill just days after starting the job at CJR last fall and embarked on a series of treatments, including a bone marrow transplant. In the short time she worked with us, she helped energize CJR’s business and editorial sides.
Cathryn Cronin Cranston was publisher of the Harvard Business Review from 2002 to 2006, and had also worked for The New York Times and Mansueto Ventures, the owner of the Inc. and Fast Company media brands. She was a past chair of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and has been a consultant to a leading publisher of scientific journals, a global business-to-business publisher, and a leading business school.
“Cathy was a brave, dedicated, hardworking professional with a special vision for CJR,” said Victor Navasky, CJR’s chairman. “She made things happen from the moment she arrived. She was an idealist, but a pragmatic one. Our thoughts are with her family at this moment of everyone’s loss.” Cranston is survived by her husband, Bruce, and two teenage children, James and Meredith.
“Cathy was full of infectious enthusiasm for CJR and its mission,” said Mike Hoyt, CJR’s executive editor, “and she was just plain nice—lively and fun to be around. We will miss her.”
The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review.