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Blake Hounshell, who worked as a political journalist for The New York Times, passed away on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, in Washington at the age of 44. His family confirmed the news and stated that he had died “after a long and courageous battle with depression.” The police said that the matter is being investigated as a suicide.
The news was also broken to the employees of the magazine by the executive editor, Joseph Kahn, and the managing editor, Carolyn Ryan, in a memo, where they said:
"We are deeply saddened to share the tragic news that our colleague Blake Hounshell has passed away. Blake was a dedicated journalist who quickly distinguished himself as our lead politics newsletter writer and a gifted observer of our country's political scene. He became an indispensable and always insightful voice in the report during a busy election cycle."
The editors also talked about Blake Hounshell’s contributions as an employee, as he has been working with the organization since 2021.
Furthermore, looking at his profile on Twitter, it can also be seen that the journalist was active on social media just a few hours before his death.
“A friend, a fellow journalist, a kind supporter of my career”: Netizens, friends, and colleagues mourn the death of Blake Hounshell
As the "On Politics" editor at The New York Times passed away, several social media users, friends, and colleagues were left shocked. One social media user, who appeared to be close to Blake, took to Twitter and said:
Here's how others reacted to the news:
Blake Hounshell leaves behind his wife, Sandy Choi, and two kids, David and Astrid
Blake Hounshell, born in 1987 in California, studied at Yale University and started his career with Foreign Policy magazine in 2006. He later worked with many other organizations before becoming a part of The New York Times in 2021. He has also traveled extensively to Cairo to study Arabic and cover Arab politics.
While much is not known about Blake’s personal life, it is reported that he resided with his family in northwest Washington and left behind his wife, Sandy Choi, and children, David and Astrid.
The New York Times has also stated that it would help the family as much as possible and whichever way the family is comfortable. In their letter to the employees, Joseph Kahn and Carolyn Ryan also stated:
“Blake was devoted to his family and a friend of many on our politics and Washington teams, who have worked alongside him for many years. We will be in touch with more information on how to support his family soon."
On the other hand, people on the internet are also spreading awareness about mental health issues and how feeling suicidal can be helped by a professional. Blake's friends and family are also sharing details of institutions that can help people facing mental health challenges so that they do not opt for steps like suicide.
