ink-stained wretches

Former Gawker Editor-in-Chief Gabriel Snyder Hired to Run Newsweek Website

Just before their latest re-launch, staffers at newsweek.com were informed that they had yet another new leader: former Gawker Editor-in-Chief Gabriel Snyder. Snyder, who was fired seemingly out of the blue from Gawker in a staff shake-up in February, will be executive editor of the site, reporting to Mark Miller — right-hand man to Newsweek editor Jon Meacham, and the recently appointed head of all things digital at the magazine. The website of the storied magazine — which itself went through a major overhaul last year — has undergone several shifts of focus and leadership over the past sixteen months. In January of last year, longtime editor Tom Watson was replaced by outside hire Will Tacy of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune to oversee the website revamp. In June, Tacy was out and Newsweek senior editor Devin Gordon was in. Gordon is out this month and headed to GQ, to be replaced by Snyder under the oversight of Miller.

To: The Staff
From: Jon Meacham and Mark Miller

We are thrilled to announce that Gabriel Snyder, Gawker’s former editor in chief and a journalist with broad experience in print and digital media, is joining us as Executive Editor, Newsweek Digital. Gabriel helped transform Gawker from what was a guilty pleasure for a Manhattan-centric audience to a vibrant source of real news and information, doubling Gawker’s audience. Gabriel also has been a senior writer at W magazine and at Variety where he covered the film industry. A native of Tennessee, Gabriel began his career as a media reporter at The New York Observer after graduating from Yale in 1998.

In our conversations with Gabriel, we have been impressed not only with his sophisticated knowledge of Web technique and Internet philosophy but with his understanding of the mission and potential for the soon-to-be re-launched Newsweek.com and our growing stable of digital offerings. Day in and day out, Newsweek’s digital staff has performed heroically, often in very difficult circumstances. Working with us, Geoff Reiss, Dan Klaidman, Carl Sullivan, Kathy Jones, and the rest of our editorial team, Gabriel will help us ensure that the outstanding journalism we produce every day reaches the biggest, most effective audience.

Former Gawker Editor-in-Chief Gabriel Snyder Hired to Run Newsweek Website