The American Journalism Review talked to high profile reporters who left jobs at some of the most prestigious news outlets to work at The Huffington Post. What drew them in?

Total freedom, as Business Editor Peter Goodman, formerly of the New York Times, describes it. When Goodman was at the Times, for example, a front-page story on predatory for-profit colleges generated a lot of buzz, but the Times had no place for a follow-up. But, said Goodman: “Arianna’s whole thing is, ‘This is the Web, let’s hit it again and again. If we’ve got another one, let’s hit it again.’”

HuffPo National Editor Tim O’Brien, who had been Sunday business editor of the Times, likewise “saw a chance to build something from the ground up at The Huffington Post.”

The point is that more and more veteran reporters will opt for total freedom in their careers over having a job with the top brands in journalism. Good to know if you’re trying to hire the best in the business, but it remains to be seen whether or not this will lead to a successful news outlet in the long-term.