Monroe has been vice president and editorial director of Ebony and Jet magazines since 2006. He joined the magazines following a long career at Knight Ridder, where he was assistant vice president of news. He’s also president of the National Association of Black Journalists.

Monroe led Knight Ridder’s efforts during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, helping the newspaper in Biloxi, Miss. publish continuously. His team’s efforts were awarded the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for Public Service. Monroe was also part of the team that helped the Grand Forks Herald win the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1998, following the flood that devastated the community.