Thomas Kent, based in New York, is a specialist on U.S. and international journalistic ethics. Until 2016 he was standards editor of The Associated Press, and is currently a consultant and trainer for news organizations, including The Poynter Institute. He led the Online News Association’s “Create Your Own Ethics Code Project,” is an advisor to the Ethical Journalism Network and was a board member of the Organization of News Ombudsmen and Standards Editors.
Kent is also a specialist on artificial intelligence in journalism, how journalism ethics vary across cultures, and the dangers of disinformation and propaganda. Until September 2018 he was president and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. He teaches about journalism, propaganda and Russian affairs at Columbia University.
He served with the AP as reporter in Sydney, Australia; NATO and the European Union reporter in Brussels; reporter and bureau chief in Moscow; chief of AP operations in Tehran during the Iranian revolution; deputy news editor and news editor of AP’s World Service Division in New York; international editor of the AP and chief of the AP supervisory desk.
He lectures internationally on journalistic ethics and disinformation, and has served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes in international reporting.
Tom was raised in Shaker Heights, Ohio, holds a degree in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University and speaks Russian, French and Spanish.
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