Tom White announces resignation as editor of IDA’s documentary magazine, citing “toxic context” at nonprofit

Tom White resigns as editor of documentary Magazine, after more than 22 years at the forefront of IDA publishing.

It is the latest departure by International Documentary Association staff and follows the surprise announcement earlier this month of the resignation of IDA director Rick Pérez, whose decision will take effect on Friday.

White’s resignation will take effect on January 4, 2023. In a post on Facebook (see full text below), he wrote: “My mental health – namely my depression – has been caused since the beginning of 18 years by the exodus of my colleagues, and the toxic context that led to this exodus , has changed for the worse over the last few months and it would be best for me and the organization to bend to that point.

The exodus to which White refers has resulted in the IDA losing all of its senior staff and most of its junior staff, which began nearly a year ago when four senior directors announced their resignations. Those executive directors — Poh Si Teng, Maggie Bowman, Jina Chung and Amy Halpin — were critical of Pérez’s leadership and the nonprofit’s board, a criticism echoed by many who later left the organization.

The IDA has since replaced many of the departing staff. The board appointed Ken Ikeda as interim executive director following the departure of Rick Pérez. IDA’s self-proclaimed mission, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2022, is “to support the vital work of documentary storytellers and foster a thriving and inclusive documentary culture”.

“I am leaving IDA and the documentary magazine for destinations unknown,” White said in his Facebook post. “New frontiers are always scary and inspiring; I gladly accept the challenge of taking these steps towards something new. I am eternally grateful to have served the documentary community for 22 1/2 years with the work of a lifetime and I look forward to seeing what my successor brings.”

In a statement to Deadline, IDA Board Co-Chairs Grace Lee and Chris Pérez said: “We thank Tom White for his more than two decades of hard work, dedication and extensive contributions during his tenure at IDA on so many important issues picked up and highlighted that ripple through the documentary world, sparking conversations, new ideas and positive change.

The announcement of White’s retirement sparked a storm of praise for the publisher, widely respected for its expertise in the art of nonfiction filmmaking. Rick Pérez said on Facebook: “Thank you Tom for your 22 1/2 years of service to IDA and the documentary community. You have given us so much!”

Marjan Safinia, former chairman of the IDA board, wrote: “You have made invaluable contributions to the Tom field. They are a walking encyclopedia of documentary history. They have made the magazine and its content truly top notch over the past few years. You are a whole person, kind, generous, attentive and always available. You’ve done an incredible, diligent job of connecting and informing us all…” Former IDA Director Simon Kilmurry said: “It’s a bittersweet end to a wonderful tenure… Your grace, patience and kindness to others is exemplary. And your influence on documentaries cannot be overstated.”

Filmmaker Michèle Stephenson said: “Thank you for your strong commitment to this medium and your work to challenge assumptions and expectations to change the field.”

In White’s Facebook resignation announcement, he referred to a fatal turn in the events of 9/11. This is his full statement:

“Dear documentary community,

After 22½ years as editor of the documentary magazine, I have decided to retire effective January 4, 2023. I submitted my resignations to the IDA General Manager and Board and IDA staff. My mental health, especially my depression caused by the exodus of 18 of my colleagues since earlier this year and the toxic context that fueled that exodus, has worsened in recent months and it would be for the best for me and the organization to bow out before this point.

“On September 10, 2001, I was on a flight from Boston to Los Angeles, after spending the weekend visiting my wife, who was receiving her master’s degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She wanted me to stay one more day and leave the next morning – September 11th. She was disappointed that I did not fulfill her wishes. And then the same plane I took the day before flew into the World Trade Center.

“In my years as an editor, I often think of 9/11. I think of those who sat on the plane I could have taken – how much loss reverberates through so many people and how the future becomes an infinite, horrifying past and present. And I think of those who fled on September 10 and how they managed to live out or reform their lives in the decades that followed, after being spared as I had come to believe.

“It was the 10th anniversary of 9/11 when things began to crystallize – my fortune ten years ago made my work a calling, a livelihood, a purpose. I feel truly blessed to have a purpose, a reason to improve my work, to serve the community as honestly, consciously and creatively as possible, always aware of my blind spots and shortcomings, always intent on addressing them. I wrote in February in what appeared to be a farewell letter to IDA members that my purpose was greatly enhanced by the brilliant and compassionate people I had the pleasure of working with – the staff of IDA and Documentary Magazine and the wonderful Corps of Writers, Editorial Fellows and Interns. I have learned so much from all of you, as well as the documentary community: the filmmakers, the educators, the activists, the gatekeepers, the fans.

“I am leaving IDA magazine and documentary with unknown goals. New frontiers are always scary and inspiring; I gladly accept the challenge of taking these steps towards something new. I am very grateful to have served the documentary community for 22 1/2 years with the work of a lifetime and I look forward to seeing what my successor brings.

“If you want to keep in touch; is my personal email [email protected]

I wish you the best.

Only, [Tom White]”