Manuel Canales joins The Post as an assignment editor in Graphics

Manuel Canales (Manuel Canales)

Announcement from Graphics Director Chiqui Esteban and Enterprise Editor Timothy Curran:

We are excited to announce that Manuel Canales is joining The Washington Post as an assignment editor in Graphics, with a focus on enterprise projects.

Manuel comes to The Post after seven years at National Geographic, where he worked as a senior graphics editor. In his time there, he led some of the most visually striking work that the magazine produced, such as a recent graphic explaining how the solar system was created, and others showing the Pacific’s Ring of Fire and how coronavirus attacks our bodies. His work about the arrival of the Perseverance rover to Mars received a Webby Award this year.

Before making the jump to the United States, Manuel was the editor in chief of digital design and infographics at La Nación, the largest newspaper in his native Costa Rica. His team received a Malofiej Gold Medal, one of the most prestigious recognitions in the world of news graphics, for their visual work about Costa Rica’s national parks.

Manuel holds degrees in publicity design from the Universidad de las Ciencias y el Arte de Costa Rica and the Universidad Autónoma de Centro América. He lives in Friendship Heights with his wife, Alejandra, also a Costa Rican. They both love hiking and Disney parks. You can also find Manuel listening to podcasts about science and technology or watching movies.

Please join us in welcoming him to The Post. His first day is Aug. 8.