Cosmo Editor-In-Chief Out As Hearst Announces Sweeping Changes To Editorial Staff
Hearst Magazines announced big changes to its editorial staff on Wednesday, including the ouster of three top editors.
In internal communications obtained by HuffPost, the company announced the ouster of Michele Promaulayko, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan; Joey Bartolomeo, executive director of Seventeen; and Sophie Donelson, editorial director of House Beautiful. Each have already been replaced by other employees.
“There is much to be proud of and an ambitious new chapter to be written for the division,” Hearst Magazines President Troy Young wrote in an email to staff.
The company also announced various moves to merge its print and digital operations, and said it would be putting some editors at the helm of both. Kristen Koch, who replaces Bartolomeo at Seventeen.com, will also oversee “all content for the brand,” including print.
Meanwhile, Redbook will drop its print edition and go online-only.
“Redbook has a long, proud history of informing and enlightening its audience, and it’s been part of our portfolio for more than 35 years,” Young said in a release. “We thank the team for their dedication and contributions to the magazine.”
Hearst also announced new editor positions at Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Popular Mechanics and VERANDA, as well as new multimedia studios on a leased, 20,000-square-foot plot in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Hearst has gone through sweeping layoffs this year as it continues to consolidate the magazine industry. After it bought Rodale last October, it cut down Women’s Health to just 10 editorial employees. More than 145 Rodale staffers were notified of their termination in January.
Read the full email below:
Dear Colleagues,
Shortly, the announcement below this note will be released, sharing editorial and publishing news that will foster closer collaboration across the company. With these changes behind us, the stage is set for our future.
Hearst Magazines titles are among the most well-loved, well-respected and successful in the world. In many ways, our competitive position in the publishing industry has never been better, and we remain fully committed to our print business. Through constant innovation, our audiences continue to grow as we reach across an expanding network of formats and distribution points. Our unique position in today’s media marketplace is the complementary strengths of our print, digital and video offerings.
Together, we will execute on an exciting vision for the organization, one that blends talents across disciplines to deepen engagement with audiences. Over the past two months, we’ve made some important progress along our new path:
There is much to be proud of and an ambitious new chapter to be written for the division.
I’d like to thank you for your hard work and dedication and for making Hearst Magazines an exciting, dynamic place to work. The talent and creativity of our teams is truly inspiring; it’s what sets us apart and what guides us as we boldly navigate the rapid changes in our industry.
Sincerely,
Troy Young
President, Hearst Magazines
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
