The Lens has hired award-winning editor Brett Barrouquere as its new managing editor. Barrouquere will start March 6.

Lens Founder and Director Karen Gadbois is excited to welcome Barrouquere early next month. 

“​​Brett stood out as an experienced and compassionate editor,” Gadbois said. “Brett is not just a seasoned news editor, he comes from a family of New Orleans news producers. Understanding the news climate here in New Orleans was a big plus. We welcome him back.”

Barrouquere comes to The Lens from the Memphis Commercial-Appeal where he has most recently led a team of reporters through day-in and day-out coverage of Tyre Nichols’ death after a Jan. 7 traffic stop.

“I’m anxious to return home and work on telling the stories of my native city. The team at The Lens and I will tell the stories of the city and use good journalism to expose problems and find solutions.”

Barrouquere spent 10 years with The Associated Press, as both a reporter and editor, based in Kentucky. His work included an Associated Press Beat of the Week award — the top story among all wire stories for the week — for an investigation into a Kentucky inmate who starved to death at a maximum-security prison.

The Louisiana native spent three years as an investigative reporter with the Southern Poverty Law Center. He has also worked for The Houston Chronicle, The Advocate and several newspapers throughout the southeast. 

Barrouquere will lead The Lens’ award-winning news team. The outlet’s environmental reporting is expanding to cover the growing liquified natural gas industry in Louisiana and education reporting continues to hold the city’s uniquely decentralized system of schools accountable. Criminal justice reporting will continue to cover the conditions in state prisons and local jails, the politics of mass incarceration and an expanded focus on juvenile justice. 

Interim Editor Marta Jewson will step into a deputy editor role. Jewson joined The Lens in 2014 as an education reporter. As deputy editor, she will assist Barrouquere, while continuing to focus the majority of her time on reporting. 

Gadbois said she is pleased to welcome Barrouquere back to New Orleans. 

“I’m looking forward to new editorial leadership in an ever-changing industry,” she said.