Why Jill Abramson Is Going Digital: Observer
Earlier today, The New York Times reported that its own managing editor of news, Jill Abramson is taking a six-month break from her current job to work on digital initiatives. Now the New York Observer‘s John Koblin offers an explanation for the startling move: The paper needs to integrate its digital properties and prepare for the January unveiling of its paywall (we speculated that the latter might be the case). Plus, Abramson needs some experience with the Web side.
The Observer‘s John Koblin reports:
As Bill Keller explained in an email, she needs “serious time under the hood” before [the newsroom integration] actually happens in any real way.
Koblin also points up the fact that the revolving door hasn’t been much in operation at the Times in the past couple years, and that the company has instead largely relied on a series of internal reshufflings to accommodate personnel needs. Plus:
“Jill’s been in that same job seven years this July,” said an editor. “It’s a job where you go to Page One meeting twice a day. You’re involved in every big story. The oil spill and Afghanistan and coal mine disasters and everything else. It’s a wearing job. She has a lot of irons in the fire. She teaches and writes about her puppy. She needs a break as much as anyone else.”
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