Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news highlighting women’s roles, contributions, and achievements in the evolving media business. This latest installment covers The Hollywood Reporter‘s transformation under Janice Min, the influence of women’s magazines in American politics, how EIC Amy Bernstein stays true to Harvard Business Review‘s mission, a new role for industry veteran Martha Nelson, and more.
- Tinseltown transformation They call it the Min Miracle. That is, the reinvention of The Hollywood Reporter, which, under the leadership of Janice Min, went from being a “stale” trade daily to a full-blown glossy magazine A-listers scramble to be seen in, a Folio article says. With a clear vision, management buy-in, and solid investor backing, Min turned around the languishing trade pub with a complete overhaul of its staff, design, logo, content, and tone. With the success of THR, Min’s role has expanded, including oversight of Billboard, and according to the article, her name has come up as a potential replacement for Graydon Carter when he steps down from his post at Vanity Fair.
- Mixing political and personal The Washington Post recently posted a fascinating look at the important role women’s magazines have played in American politics—even before women had the right to vote. From the very beginning, it says, publications targeting women have blended what’s seen as “traditional” topics like fashion, child rearing, and household management with articles covering everything from democracy and civil rights to women’s pay, workforce conditions, and legal rights. The report notes, however, that while today’s publications are filled with profiles of women who by day hold powerful positions in business, elected offices, and elsewhere, we still see copy on how to become “the goddess woman with the best home, sex life, abs, and facial contouring by night.” Conclusion? It remains a complex mix, with plenty to both praise and criticize.
- Mission accomplished For Amy Bernstein, editor of Harvard Business Review, it’s all about mission: to improve the practice of management in the changing world. And while HBR has long been a staple for C-suite leaders and their reports, staying true to that goal and bringing value to busy executives is no easy feat given all the moving parts and increased competition in today’s media world, she told FIPP in a recent Q&A. To do that, Bernstein keeps her editorial team focused on the big problems HBR audience members are trying to solve, with content that is “compelling and relevant and urgent”—and that means working across all HBR platforms, including digital and book publishing. One area she’s looking to more fully integrate into HBR‘s strategy is personalization. “Personalization can help us serve our community what they need to know, when they need it,” Bernstein notes, adding that “I also want to make sure there is a way to communicate the really big, important ideas that readers aren’t looking for, the ones they didn’t know they needed to know.”
- Taking the reins Martha Nelson, former editor in chief at Time Inc., was named global editor in chief at Yahoo Media, which includes the new Digital Magazines business launched last year under the direction of CEO Marissa Mayer. Nelson, a publishing veteran who spent more than 20 years at Time, was the first female to fill the editor in chief role at the company, overseeing 21 Time brands, according to WWD. Among other accomplishments, she was a founding editor of InStyle magazine and instrumental in building People into a top brand. Nelson was also appointed to the Peabody Awards board last fall, and is an active volunteer with organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Glass House, the report says. At Yahoo, Nelson will oversee editorial operations that now include 13 digital titles in the U.S. and 30 globally.
Hiring news roundup
- Theresa Horner, a former Barnes & Noble vice president, is joining ebook subscription service Scribd as vice president of strategy and new content verticals.
- Erica Duecy was recruited by Architectural Digest for its newly created digital director role.
- Brittany Kozerski was promoted to senior market editor at Marie Claire.
- Alex White is taking on the new role of U.S. fashion director at large at Porter.
- Kristin Roberts joined Politico as national news editor.
- Sara Clemence was named news director at Travel + Leisure.
- Caitlin Frazier is the new social media editor at The Atlantic.
- Leela de Kretser joined Reuters.com as managing editor.
- Beth Rigby was appointed media editor of the Financial Times.
- Laura Kostelny and Caroline McKenzie were named executive editors at Country Living.
- Candace Tischer was promoted to director of sales partnerships at Time Inc.
- Kaelyn Forde was named Refinery29’s executive editor of news.
- Karen Mahabir joined The Huffington Post as managing news editor.
- Ali Salama was appointed publisher of Bloomberg Pursuits.
- Eva Chen, former Lucky editor in chief, is joining Instagram to head development of fashion partnerships.
- Maya Ziv was named executive editor at Dutton.
- Annie Tomlin joined Self as beauty director.
- Marina Koren was named senior associate editor for news at TheAtlantic.com.
- Priscilla Alvarez joined the Atlantic’s politics team as assistant editor.
- Valerie Lapinski has taken on the role of head of video at the Guardian.
- Katie Thompson is the Guardian’s new vice president of communications.
- Jennifer Kho was named managing editor at the Guardian.
- Bonnie Kintzer, president and CEO of the Reader’s Digest Association, was elected to the board of directors of the MPA’s Independent Magazine Media Group.
Let us know in the comments if there are any other recent stories or career moves you’d like us to include in our next Women in Media roundup.
Photo: Folio
Technology for Publishing’s Women in Media blog highlights the news and achievements of female leaders and role models in the publishing and media industry. Look for our in-depth profiles and interviews of top women to watch. Is there someone you’d like to nominate for an upcoming Q&A? Drop us a note!
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
