Blake Hounshell, a journalist for the New York Times and editor of the “On Politics” newsletter, reportedly committed suicide and passed away today, according to his family. He formerly worked for magazines like Politico and Foreign Policy.
Blake’s family issued a brief statement, saying, “It is with great regret that we must inform you that Blake, unfortunately, died away this morning after a long and heroic struggle with depression.” Blake’s death follows a valiantly long struggle with depression. He only leaves behind Sandy, his wife, and their two children.
Hounshell was active on Twitter until only a few hours before it was revealed that he had passed away. He had contributed to the Monday edition of the On Politics newsletter. Additionally, a story he wrote was made available online by the publication.
Following Blake’s loss, executive editor Joe Kahn wrote in an email to coworkers, “Blake was a diligent journalist who quickly distinguished himself as our primary politics newsletter writer and a gifted observer of our country’s political situation.” When a lot was going on with the election, “Blake was a gifted observer of our country’s political environment,” and “He became an essential and always insightful voice in the report.”
Kahn stated, “We recently lost a lovely colleague, and this is a tragic loss for our team.
Having worked side by side with several members of our political and Washington groups for a while, Blake was devoted to his family and a friend to many of them.
Hounshell had been the managing editor of Politico’s Washington and Politics team for over seven years before beginning his employment with the New York Times in 2021. In addition, he worked at Foreign Policy as a managing editor.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis related to suicide, mental health, or substance use, call or text the United States Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 to talk with a counselor in your region. On the website, you can find the phone number. If you live in the United Kingdom, call 116123 to speak with the Samaritans.