Karen Bordeleau

Karen Bordeleau is the acting executive editor of The Providence Journal. She began her career at The Journal in 1996 as a copyeditor and special sections reporter. She has worked as a section editor, assistant city editor, assistant managing editor/online, managing editor/production and deputy executive editor. She supervises 142 reporters, photographers and editors and is responsible for the entire news report on all print, digital and mobile platforms.

Bordeleau began her journalism career in the 1970s. She has served as the editor of The Kent County Daily Times in West Warwick, R.I., and The Call in Woonsocket, R.I. Bordeleau is an adjunct professor of journalism at Emerson College in Boston, where she teaches ethics as well as editing and design. She has also been on the adjunct faculties at the University of Rhode Island, Northeastern University and Bryant University, where she has taught numerous reporting, writing, ethics and editing/design courses. Bordeleau has also used the classroom as a platform to encourage journalism students to push for access to public records and meetings.

Bordeleau earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism cum laude from Northeastern University and a master’s degree in political science summa cum laude from the University of Rhode Island. She was a Sulzberger fellow at Columbia University in 2011 and a participant in the International Center for Journalists’ exchange with Pakistan in August 2012 and in January 2013.

She is a member of the board of directors for the New England First Amendment Coalition and the Rhode Island Press Association. She is past president of both the New England Associated Press News Executives Association and the New England Society of Newspaper Editors. She was named The Providence Journal Desk Editor of the Year in 2000.