Media Moves: Kevin Merida Exits Los Angeles Times
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Jan. 9, 2024
Kevin Merida, who has been the top editor at the Los Angeles Times since 2021, is leaving the paper. Merida broke the news to Times staffers on Jan. 9.
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“It has been an honor being executive editor of the Los Angeles Times for the last two-and-a-half years,” he wrote. “Ours is a fierce, resilient, superbly talented newsroom, and I am proud to have belonged to it.”
Merida joined the Times from ESPN, where he led the network’s vertical The Undefeated, which has since be rebranded Andscape. He was also a top editor at The Washington Post.
The move apparently came as something of a surprise to newsroom staffers. And in a separate note, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong said that leadership would be conducting and internal and external search for a successor.
Jan. 5, 2024
Raúl Martinez is returning to Vogue as global creative director. He will be based in New York and will report to Anna Wintour, editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast.
Martinez will oversee creative direction for the brand globally and Vogue’s visual approach on all platforms. In particular, he will be tasked with guiding Vogue’s video efforts to ensure that video is seamlessly embedded across all storytelling, including short form and social clips, news-driven reels, and longer features.
Martinez left Vogue in 2021 to become creative director for Victoria’s Secret and Co., which was then undergoing a brand image overhaul. He replaces Juan Costa Paz, who will remain at Vogue through February and then return full-time at his creative agency. He will continue to work with the brand on Vogue World Paris and other projects.
Nov. 29, 2023
Carlos Nazario has been tapped as style director at large for Harper’s Bazaar. The newly created role will have Nazario styling most Bazaar covers; his first will be the Hearst-owned magazine’s February 2024 edition.
Nazario will remain as global fashion director of i-D magazine, which was recently purchased by model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss, who previously led a consortium of investors to purchase W magazine, where Nazario once worked as an intern.
Nazario comes to Bazaar in the wake of a contributing editorship at Vogue.
Oct. 26, 2023
Carol Smith has joined The Cut and New York magazine as a strategic adviser for advertising. The announcement was made by Vox Media chief revenue officer Geoff Schiller. Smith, formerly a longtime executive at Hearst, will work closely with The Cut’s editor in chief Lindsay Peoples, as well as Schiller and the Vox Media revenue team.
Penske Media Corp., the parent company of WWD, is the largest shareholder of Vox Media.
At the Cut, Smith will focus on growing revenue in the fashion and luxury space, including traditional print and digital advertising, event sponsorship and e-commerce.
Smith left Hearst in March 2023; she was among the high-profile departures under Hearst Magazines president Debi Chirichella, who has reorganized the division amid stiff economic headwinds.
Oct. 10, 2023
Agnes Chu is leaving her post as head of Condé Nast Entertainment in a shakeup at the legacy company’s video division. Her departure caps a relatively brief three-year tenure as president of a division that was created more than a decade ago to leverage content from its legacy print brands including The New Yorker, Vogue and Wired.
In a memo to employees, Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch noted that the leaders of the company’s “editorial content, audience development and branded content and video will move into a new structure. This will allow out editorial talent to work across all mediums as true digital content experts, enabling these leaders to tell stories and elevate our journalism across all platforms directly.”
The exact structure and reporting chains have yet to be worked out, he added. But the restructuring is expected to be in place by year’s end. Chu will exit the company by the end of October.
Chu joined Condé Nast in 2020, after more than a decade at Disney, where she was among the executives who launched and shaped Disney+, the company’s now beleaguered streaming service. At Condé Nast she presided over productions including Vanity Fair Studios’ Secrets of Hillsong for FX/Hulu, Vogue Studios’ LEE, Invisible Beauty and John Galliano: High and Low, as well as New Yorker Studios’ Cat Person. The latter, which cost $12 million to make, attracted lackluster offers at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is currently in limited theatrical release through Rialto Pictures.
Lynch characterized Chu as a “valued member” of the Condé Nast leadership team and credited her with “building up our film, television and entertainment business with over 70 projects in development and ten projects in production” and “helping grow our digital video audience to a projected 20 [billion] annual video views.”
Added Chu in her own note to employees: “I am proud to leave Condé Nast Entertainment better than the one I joined. By building and stewarding a cultural moment content strategy with our iconic brands, we transformed into a globally diversified media division.”
Sept. 28, 2023
Kate Lewis, a 10-year veteran of Hearst Magazines, has stepped down as chief content officer, a position she has held since 2018. She will be replaced by Lucy Kaylin, who will assume the title of editorial director. The change is effective immediately.
The announcement came from Hearst president and chief executive officer Steven R. Swartz and Hearst Magazines president Debi Chirichella, to whom Kaylin will report.
Kaylin joined Hearst in 2007 as executive editor of Marie Claire (now owned by Future). She made her mark at the company at O, The Oprah Magazine, where she evolved the magazine into and multiplatform membership community.
June 22, 2023
Nikki Ogunnaike will leave Hearst-owned Harper’s Bazaar to become the editor in chief of Marie Claire. The announcement was made by Hillary Kerr, chief content officer of Marie Claire and Who What Wear, to whom Ogunnaike will report. She starts Aug. 8.
Ogunnaike has been senior digital director at Harper’s Bazaar for the past two-and-a-half years. Prior to that she had stints at Condé Nast-owned GQ and Hearst’s Elle.
Ogunnaike joins the title shortly after it was purchased by British company Future, which owns more than a dozen niche trade magazine including Guitar Player and Broadcasting & Cable. She will be tasked with expanding Marie Claire’s fashion and luxury coverage across all platforms.
May 12, 2023
Condé Nast has named Nick Hotchkin chief financial officer. He succeeds Jackie Marks, who left the company last March after two years in the role. He reports to chief executive officer Roger Lynch.
Hotchkin joins Condé Nast from WW International (formerly WeightWatchers). He assumes the CFO role at a time of transition in the industry with legacy print brands casting for new revenue streams in digital and experiential endeavors and, in Condé Nast’s case, even in consulting. The publisher has set up a division where its editors and executives will work with companies on trends, competitors and more.
In revealing Hotchkin’s appointment, the company touted his experience in leading WW International’s transition to a direct-to-consumer digital subscription business and “more than doubling digital subscribers during his tenure.”
April 14, 2023
Sally Holmes has been named editor-in-chief and general manager of InStyle. She starts May 1, and will report to Dotdash Meredith president of entertainment, beauty and style, Leah Wyar.
Holmes comes to InStyle from Marie Claire, where she has been editor-in-chief since 2020. She first joined Marie Claire in 2018 as digital director.
At InStyle, Holmes will be tasked with overall strategy, editorial vision and content creation across channels. InStyle was among several Meredith titles acquired by Barry Diller’s Dotdash in November 2021. At the time, Laura Brown the top editor at InStyle. She was dismissed and in early 2022, InStyle was among six titles that ceased print issues. (Entertainment Weekly, Health, Parents, EatingWell and People en Español were the others.) The April 2022 issue was the final print issue of InStyle.
Wyar, formerly chief beauty director at Hearst, joined Dotdash in 2019, prior to the Meredith acquisition. She was recruited to oversee beauty sites Byrdie and MyDomaine, which Dotdash acquired from Clique Brands in January 2019. The appointment of Holmes is a significant editorial hire for Wyer.
“I am thrilled to welcome Sally to InStyle as its new editor in chief and general manager,” said Wyer in a statement. “Bringing renewed energy and a fresh approach, she is the perfect person to lead this iconic brand and build on its legacy as we look to the future. Not only is she a sharp, inspiring journalist who is highly respected in the fashion world, she has a proven track record of success growing digital media brands and creating award-winning editorial content in areas of style, beauty and culture. This is an exciting time for InStyle!”
Holmes started her career at New York magazine before segueing to The Cut ahead of its relaunch in 2012. Like Wyer, she is also a veteran of Hearst Magazines, first joining that company in 2014 as senior news editor at Elle.com.
April 5, 2022
Haley Katz Bachmann is joining Hearst Magazines as senior vice president of fashion and luxury. She will have oversight of U.S. advertising sales for the luxury and fashion pod, working across the company’s brands, which include Town & Country, Elle, Elle Décor, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire.
Katz Bachmann joins Hearst from The New York Times and T Magazine, where she was head of industry for fashion and luxury. She had a stint at Hearst earlier in her career where she held a number of positions including on the Elle integrated sales team. She was a pre-IPO member of Snapchat’s advertising team, an early innovator in social innovation. She starts May 1, and will report to global chief revenue officer Lisa Ryan Howard.
“Haley has a deep understanding of the needs of luxury marketers today and a track record of developing innovative digital solutions for brands,” said Ryan Howard in a statement. “She possesses an extraordinary passion for our business, produces strong results and I am thrilled that she is joining our team as we continue to accelerate our digital transformation.”
Feb. 14, 2023
Veteran media executive Michael Caruso – formerly of The Smithsonian Institution and The Hill – has been named CEO and publisher of The New Republic. Wim McCormack, TNR’s chairman and editor-in-chief made the announcement Feb. 14. Caruso will work closely with McCormack and TNR editor Michael Tomasky.
“The New Republic has been one of the most influential brands in American politics and culture since its inception,” said Caruso in a statement. “It’s been called ‘the in-flight magazine of Air Force One’ and members of Congress and the administration read it avidly—whether they agree with it or not. With all eyes turning toward the 2024 election cycle, this is a perfect time to capitalize on The New Republic’s reach and influence with new initiatives and growth.”
Most recently, Caruso was editorial director of The Hill, where he launched the Washington, D.C.-based publication’s vertical Changing America, which focuses on social justice, climate action and LGBTQ+ issues. According to Caruso, Changing America grew to drive more than one-third of TheHill.com’s online traffic.
At Smithsonian, Caruso spearheaded The Smithsonian Ingenuity Festival and Future Con — both events have attracted a roster of thought leaders across ideologies and disciplines with annual exhibits, concerts, panel discussions, experiments and activations. The American Ingenuity Awards, launched in 2012 under the Smithsonian imprimatur, have attracted a roster of boldface participants including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Steven Hawking, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Chief Justice John Roberts and Rep. John Lewis, while Future Con has been headlined by William Shatner, Patrick Stewart and Buzz Aldrin.
As media company’s scramble to cope with declining advertising revenue in a saturated media market, many have attempted to pivot to – or acquire – event franchises with attendant sponsorship revenue and earned media opportunities. Caruso has a track record in building out multi-platform activations, clearly a priority for McCormack.
“Michael has consistently proven his ability to invent and build innovative products and initiatives that expand brand value, drive audience engagement, and grow revenue,” said McCormack. “The New Republic had a strong 2022 editorially, with the launch of our breaking news vertical, new podcasts and extensive midterms coverage, and we know Michael is the right person to help lead us into the future.”
The New Republic has a storied history as a progressive publication, but endured a rocky few years under the ownership of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes who in 2014, ousted the magazine’s editorial staff in a clumsy attempt to reorient TNR’s ideological stance. McCormack purchased TNR from Hughes in 2016, returning it to its progressive roots.
Caruso – who also led editorial teams at Los Angeles magazine, Details and Men’s Journal, and also previously held editorial positions The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair and The Village Voice – succeeds former publisher Kerrie Gillis.
Sept. 22, 2022
Lisa Ryan Howard joins Hearst Magazines as executive vice president and global chief revenue officer. In the newly created position, Howard will be responsible for U.S. advertising and marketing and Hearst Global Solutions, the company’s international commercial division that creates cross-market solutions for brands. Howard comes to Hearst from The New York Times, where she was global head of advertising and marketing solutions. She also held senior roles at Billboard, Yahoo and WebMD and Condé Nast. She will report to Hearst Magazines president Debi Chirichella.
July 14, 2022
Derek Blasberg is leaving YouTube, where he’s been head of fashion and beauty partnerships since 2018. He announced the move on Instagram and Twitter. The author, former Vanity Fair contributor, Gagosian Gallery fixture and New York bon vivant, launched YouTube’s fashion vertical, recruiting many of his famous friends to the platform including Naomi Campbell and Victoria Beckham.
“We launched YouTube.com/Fashion, the largest aggregate of style video content in the world; during the pandemic, we initiated Digital Fashion Weeks when it wasn’t safe to travel for runway shows; we launched two #beautyfest‘s; we turned digital creators into bonafide fashion stars and supermodels into talk show hosts (I still miss our nightly prep calls @naomi),” he wrote. “[W]e ushered in an entirely new era for style on YouTube!”
He did not reveal his next move.
July 19, 2022
Apartment Therapy, the DIY destination, has promoted several internal staffers. Laura Schocker, formerly editor in chief of Apartment Therapy, becomes chief content officer overseeing all editorial content across all platforms including the websites, video and art for Apartment Therapy Media properties which includes Apartment Therapy, Kitchn and Cubby. Faith Durand, previously editor in chief of Kitchn, takes on an expanded editorial role of senior vp of content working alongside newly hired editorial operations director, Brenda Dargan-Levy. Riva Syrop, formerly chief revenue officer, has been promoted to the new position of president, reporting to founder and CEO Maxwell Ryan
July 18, 2022
Justin Moran is the new editor in chief of Paper magazine effective immediately, said Tom Florio, chief executive officer and founder of ENTech Media Group, parent of Paper.
Moran joined Paper in 2017 as digital director and has lately moved Paper from its print roots to a social media-powered community platform. The magazine ceased print operations at the outset of the pandemic in 2020, when like many legacy print publications, it laid off staff and instituted temporary pay cuts as the pandemic decimated print advertising revenue.
July 14, 2022
Nandi Howard, the erstwhile style editor of Essence, is returning to the magazine in the newly created position of content director. As the company shifts to a digital-first model, she’ll lead the magazine’s digital verticals while Corey Stokes, interim deputy editor and senior vice president creative at Essence Ventures, will continue to run the print magazine. (In 2019, Essence reduced the frequency of its print issues, but added editorial pages to those issues.) Howard, who hails from Houston, left Essence in 2019 to become editor in chief of Houstonia magazine, one of the lifestyle titles published by SagaCity Media, Inc. She starts July 18, and will work remotely from Houston, but plans to relocate to New York City later this year.
July 7, 2022
Willa Bennett has been named editor in chief of Highsnobiety, the culture and fashion media company in which German e-commerce giant Zalando recently acquired a majority stake.
Bennett, 27, comes to Highsnobiety from GQ, where she led the magazine’s social media strategy and penned culture pieces. She will oversee editorial operations from Highsnobiety’s New York City offices. She starts July 25 and reports to founder and chief executive officer David Fischer. Bennett succeeds Thom Bettridge, who left to join Montreal-based multibrand e-tailer Ssense.
June 23, 2022
Lisa Aiken will join Vogue as executive fashion director, Vogue.com, WWD has learned. Aiken will report directly to Anna Wintour, Condé Nast’s chief content officer and global editorial director of Vogue.
Aiken comes to Vogue.com after a year at Neiman Marcus, where she was fashion and lifestyle director. Neiman Marcus confirmed last week that Aiken would leave the company to pursue other opportunities. The company announced an integration of the fashion office and buying teams.
At Vogue.com, Aiken will be tasked with the commerce strategy, working closely with Mark Pilipczuk, senior vice president of consumer revenue. She will lead the commerce team and oversee editorial strategy, responsible for driving commerce revenue growth, new ventures and innovation.
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