HuffPost Makes Key Changes In D.C. Bureau
HuffPost is making changes within its Washington Bureau. Nico Pitney is now Executive Editor out of Manhattan and Ryan Grim is Washington Bureau Chief. Sam Stein is doing assignment editing in addition to chief duties as Senior White House Correspondent. We pressed HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington to learn more about what these changes mean as well as more details about what the journalists in charge will bring to the table.
1. What do you think Ryan will bring to the bureau as chief? What do you think his style strengths are? First and foremost, Ryan has an amazing understanding of the nuts and bolts of how Washington works. But he never loses sight of the fact that, ultimately, politics isn’t a horse race and it isn’t a game – policies have a real impact on real people. He also has terrific sources on both sides of the aisle, and has shown a willingness to help direct and help his colleagues. As an integral part of HuffPost’s DC team for two years, Ryan’s transition will be a seamless one.
2. What does this news mean for the bureau and for HuffPost as a whole? As the DC bureau has continued to expand, it’s become more important than ever to manage our resources effectively while allowing team members to play to their strengths. With Nico as our new Executive Editor, he’ll continue to add his flair and judgment in managing the front page, while helping oversee editorial team planning, supervise the training of new editors, and facilitate the close interaction between our edit and tech teams. As Washington Bureau Chief, Ryan will manage the Politics team while continuing to report. Sam Stein will also continue his work as our White House correspondent while overseeing story assignments.
3. Were people surprised by the announcement or has this been coming for sometime? When Nico expressed interest in moving to New York, we knew the time was right to implement some of the changes we were already thinking of making. When we announced the changes, everyone at HuffPost was really excited, especially our New York team, which now gets to spend more time with Nico!
4. Sam is so youthful looking. Do you think people will take orders from him easily? (I’m partially joking around on this one…). Feel free to keep answer lighthearted. Sam is actually 65 — he’s our own Benjamin Button. Why do you think his coverage of Social Security is so passionate? Seriously, if Sam assigned you a story, you would never question it.
