Jonathan Klein, co-founder of Getty Images, has been elected to ProPublica’s board of directors. He joins the board of the award-winning nonprofit newsroom effective May 21.
“Jonathan’s extensive knowledge of visual journalism, learned through hands-on experience founding and running Getty Images, and the wealth of experience he brings as a business and not-for-profit leader, will be invaluable additions to ProPublica,” the board’s chair, Paul Sagan, said. “We are pleased to welcome him and look forward to tapping into Jonathan’s experience as ProPublica continues to grow and our investigative journalists increasingly use digital and visual media in many forms to illuminate important issues and hold power to account.”
Klein co-founded Getty Images and served as its CEO for 20 years from inception until the end of 2015. Under his stewardship, Getty Images — the world’s premier creator and distributor of still imagery, video and related products and services — grew from a startup to its unrivaled position in the visual content industry. The company received many awards, including the first International Centre of Photography Trustees Award for its commitment to the field of photography, through technology and philanthropy, and its dedication to the power of photography to create change; it also received an award from the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS for using its core competency in the fight against the disease.
Klein is a leader in several fields, including global health, education, sports and international press freedom. He is also the recipient of numerous media, philanthropic and corporate honors.
“In 2000 we came to the view that photojournalism was crucial and so decided to set up the Getty Images editorial business. In the more than 20 years since then, the importance of accurate, reliable and fact-based journalism has only grown. It is an important time to support journalists, the work that they do and their ability to find out what many in positions of power would prefer them to miss,” Klein said. “I’ve long admired ProPublica’s commitment to investigative journalism, the crucial role that it plays and its unique approach to visual storytelling. I’m delighted to join the board.”
He serves on the board of directors for various nonprofits and professional organizations, including Grassroot Soccer, the New Press, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the USTA Foundation. He is a member of both the Photography Visiting Committee and the Digital Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He was chairman of the Board of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria for many years; president of the Board of Trustees of the Groton School; and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Klein also serves on the boards of a number of companies, including publicly traded companies Squarespace, Etsy, Getty Images and Jumia.
Born in Johannesburg, Klein received a master’s degree in law from the University of Cambridge. He lives in New York with his wife, Debbie. They have three adult sons.
