In a statement, Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., NYT’s publisher, called Spayd a “digital pioneer.” He said he expects she will “continue to extend the reach and influence of the role of public editor by engaging in a continuing conversation about Times journalism with all interested parties, wherever we might find them.”

The public editor’s role is to represent readers and analyze the newspaper’s limitations and controversies, as well as explain how the newsroom operates.

Spayd will be the newspaper’s sixth public editor, succeeding Margaret Sullivan. Sullivan held the position since 2012, before she left last month to become the media columnist for The Washington Post.

Phil Corbett, the standards editor at NYT, led the search committee for the new public editor.

The New York Times created the public editor position in 2003, after a plagiarism scandal involving the reporter Jayson Blair. Since then, the position is crucial to ensuring fair standards and practices at the newspaper.

Sullivan tweeted her congratulations to Spayd, wishing her the best of luck.

“Hang tough and bring your body armor,” Sullivan added.