Richard Severo

American journalist (1932–2023)

Richard Severo
Born	Thomas Richard Severo (1932-11-22)November 22, 1932 Newburgh, New York, U.S.
Died	June 12, 2023(2023-06-12) (aged 90) Balmville, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Journalist

Thomas Richard Severo (November 22, 1932 – June 12, 2023) was an American science journalist who wrote for The New York Times from 1968 to 2006. During that time, he won a George Polk Award from Long Island University in 1975, as well as a Meyer "Mike" Berger Award from the Columbia School of Journalism.

In the 1980s, he also attracted considerable media attention for a prolonged public dispute he had with A. M. Rosenthal, who was the Times' executive editor at the time. Severo claimed that Rosenthal had retaliated against him for publishing a book based on his reporting for the Times with an external publishing company rather than the Times' own publishing house, Times Books. Rosenthal denied this accusation, calling Severo's complaint "a fantasy in his mind" and stating that Severo had been treated "extremely fairly and lovingly over the years". The resulting book, Lisa H: The True Story of an Extraordinary and Courageous Woman, was published by Harper & Row in 1985. After four years of arbitration hearings, the dispute ultimately ended in September 1988 when an arbitrator ruled in favor of the Times.^[1]^[2]

Severo died from complications of Parkinson's disease on June 12, 2023, at the age of 90.^[2]

References

^ Randolph, Eleanor (1984-08-26). "A New York Times Reporter's Venture Into Book-Writing Puts His Career on Hold and 'Ethical Property' at Issue". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-06-19.
^ ^a ^b Roberts, Sam (2023-06-16). "Richard Severo, Times Reporter in Internal Clash Over Book, Dies at 90". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-19.