AP names Benjaminson as national news editor for beats

NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press has named Wendy Benjaminson, a senior leader in its Washington bureau, to a role directing coverage of the cooperative's national reporting teams.

Benjaminson's appointment to the position of national news editor for beats was announced today by Sally Buzbee, senior vice president and executive editor.

In her new role, Benjaminson will oversee the AP's teams of journalists who cover state government, the environment, immigration and race and ethnicity. She'll also directly supervise three national beat reporters who cover social issues, religion and law enforcement.

"The national beat teams are critical players in AP's drive to be competitive on the most important U.S. stories, and Wendy's strong track record at helping reporters break news will be invaluable," Buzbee said.

As AP's acting Washington bureau chief since January, Benjaminson directed coverage of the first six months of the Trump administration. Before that assignment, she was an assistant bureau chief in Washington who led coverage of national security issues, including the U.S. military, American foreign policy and intelligence.

Her team consistently broke news of significance, including the death of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi, Libya. She also edited AP's series on mistakes and missteps inside the nation's nuclear security forces, for which AP Pentagon reporter Robert Burns won the company's Gramling journalism award in 2013.