Web's Revolving Door

Tina Dupuy of our sister blog FishbowlLA has an interview with Richard Rushfield, who (get this) quit his job at the Los Angeles Times -- not laid off, quit -- to write for a blog.

OK, it isn't just any blog, as Dupuy points out, but the popular Gawker. Rushfield is now Gawker's West Coast editor. In this entertaining interview, Rushfield discusses his bold career move as well as his book, a memoir titled Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost.

You can read the entire interview at FishbowlLA, but here's one snippet:

FBLA: So how is the switch from traditional media to new media?

RR: Ah yes. The switch is invigorating. This is where the conversation is.

FBLA: New media is where the conversation is?

RR: There were so many times when you'd write a wonderful article for the LATimes, or break some news and it would just be met by the sound of crickets. When you are at the LAT you're at a place where even the website isn't in the central flow of the nation's cultural conversation. But at Gawker one is very much in and a part of that conversation and as one who is writing, in part at least to communicate, that's where you want to be.

Salon.com executive news editor Mark Schone next month will take the helm as managing editor of ABCNews.com's Blotter investigative web site.

From ABCNews.com's Megan Chuchmach:

"Mark is a first-rate investigative reporter who has also proven himself to be one of the top editors working in online journalism today," said (Brian) Ross, the ABC News chief investigative correspondent. "We are thrilled that he is joining our team."

Schone said, "I am excited to be working with such an outstanding group." And he added, "Brian and his team have set the industry standard for investigative reporting."

What a lovefest in the making! Schone was responsible for all news content (including opinion and politics) at Salon.com, which he joined three years ago. He has written articles for major print publications and co-wrote Son of a Grifter: the Twisted Tale of Sante and Kenny Kimes.

Josh Wolk will join Nymag.com Nov. 17 as entertainment editor from Entertainment Weekly, where he has been for 12 years, most recently as senior editor.

He will lead an expansion of the site's Vulture blog, kicking off next week with Vulture TV Recaps.

Besides Entertainment Weekly, Wolk's memoir, Cabin Pressure: One Man's Desperate Attempt to Recapture His Youth as a Camp Counselor, was released in 2007 from Hyperion, and his writing has also appeared in The Boston Globe, Golf magazine and Time Out New York.

Nymag.com editorial director Ben Williams said:

Josh is an experienced editor who brings a valuable combination of print and Web experience to nymag.com. We are excited to have him on board as we build out the entertainment area of the site.

Eater co-founder Ben Leventhal brought his appetite for lifestyle content to NBC Local Media, where he is overseeing the category for NBC Universal's local-targeted sites, AllThingsD reported.

Leventhal said in a post on Eater:

Word has trickled out today that I've joined the NBC ranks, so we might as well be a bit more specific about it. As of yesterday, I'm the managing editor of lifestyle content across NBC Local Media's growing number of city sites, and I'll be focused on developing new brands and franchises for the company and fine-tuning existing offerings. As for the good ship, it's no secret that my role at Eater has changed significantly over the last 10 months, and you may note that in addition to founder, the masthead now has me listed as editor-at-large. Practically, this means I'll file periodically, with things like Tuesdays with Jeffrey and the Deathwatch. I'm also working closely with the current team—to the extent they tolerate me—on continued growth of our properties, new, old, and national, though not in an operational capacity.

Ryan Davis was promoted to president of philly.com, where he will lead all online initiatives and be responsible for all digital operations including strategy, content, new product development, revenue generation, business development, finance and technology.

Davis had been director of strategic operations for Philadelphia Media Holdings, parent of philly.com and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

PMH said page views for philly.com in September rose 67% compared with the prior-year month, to 72 million from 43 million.

PMH CEO Brian P. Tierney said:

With Ryan as the new president of philly.com, we have a very talented three-person management team in place with Dan Sarko as vice president of advertising and Wendy Warren as VP and editor of philly.com, and are now well-positioned for even greater levels of growth. Ryan has immense passion and vision for the future of philly.com. I am thrilled to have him at the helm working closely with Dan and Wendy. Their combined leadership will help us achieve continued growth.

Davis added:

I am looking forward to assuming my new role as president of the philly.com team. I have been part of this group for several months now and we have seen traffic soar to 70 million page views per month, the successful launch this week of our new sports section and laid the groundwork to pursue several new business opportunities. I thank Brian for this opportunity, as well as Dan Sarko, who has been a tremendous partner in all these efforts. I look forward to continuing to work with Dan, Wendy and the rest of the philly.com team to cement an even larger footprint in the digital world and create even greater value for our readers, advertisers and business partners.

Facebook beefed up its lobbying presence in Washington, D.C., hiring journalist Andrew Noyes as manager of public-policy communications, TechCrunch reported.

Noyes most recently blogged on "Politics and Policy in the Wired World" for National Journal's CongressDaily, as well as contributing articles to National Journal.

Facebook director of corporate communications and public policy Barry Schnitt said in an email obtained by TechCrunch:

I wanted to let you know of a new hire for Facebook in Washington, D.C. Andrew Noyes, 29, will join the company as manager of public-policy communications. Andrew, who formally starts in mid-November, brings a wealth of relevant experience to help Facebook manage and further develop relationships in the nation's capital.

As Facebook continues to innovate and grow—with a rapidly growing user community of more than 300 million—it is important that we expand our capability to explain to policymakers, the press and the public how we enable people to share in a more trusted environment, help make the world more connected and drive economic growth. Specific policy issues on the agenda for Andrew and the rest of Facebook's D.C. office include enhancing cybersecurity and online safety, expanding digital privacy protection through user control of data and protecting free speech.

Breda O'Reilly joined The Atlantic as digital ad manager. She had been a strategic account executive with Microsoft Advertising.

Prior to Microsoft, O'Reilly worked with IAC Advertising Solutions and The Excite Network/Ask Jeeves.

The Atlantic and TheAtlantic.com vice president and publisher Jay Lauf said:

The Atlantic's incredible digital success is providing unprecedented opportunities for advertisers to connect with our influential readership. Breda's proven expertise with native digital organizations like Microsoft and IAC and her aptitude for client service will be terrific assets as we continue to enhance our online offerings.

Among the many changes at Condé Nast, Condé Nast Digital restructured its sales force, creating five separate brand categories: fashion and beauty; food, well-being and travel; bridal; technology; and culture and thought leader.

Each of the publisher's 26 online brands will now fall into one of those five categories, with three advertising directors reporting to Josh Stinchcomb, who was promoted to publisher from executive director of the Condé Nast Digital Business Group.

Alice McKown was also promoted to executive director of marketing from executive director of integrated services.

Senior vice president and chief revenue officer Drew Schutte said:

Josh has a proven track record of success at Condé Nast Digital, and I know he will continue that trajectory working across all 26 of our digital brands. Alice continues to develop creative ideas for our clients, and she and Josh will lead this integrated sales force to new heights.

MySpace named a chief revenue officer, luring MTV Networks executive vice president of digital advertising Nada Stirratt to the social-networking service, paidContent reported.

Prior to MTVN, Stirratt served as senior VP and general manager of ad sales for AOL's Advertising.com. Her hire at MySpace follows the departure of Jeff Berman and the hiring of MediaLink.

MTVN told paidContent it had not yet named a replacement for Stirratt.

Stirratt said in an email to her MTVN co-workers, obtained by AllThingsD:

It is with mixed emotions that I write to inform you that I will be leaving MTV Networks. I have accepted the job of chief revenue officer at MySpace and will be starting there later in the month.

The past 3+ years have been such a wonderful experience and I thank you for the extraordinary work you all have done to make MTV Networks Digital stand for a best-in-class sales organization unlike any other in the business. Truly. We rocked the industry with our innovation, ideas, relationships and results. And we had a ridiculous amount of fun along the way. So thank you for everything. And a special heartfelt thanks to my leadership team of Kevin (Kevin Arrix), Brad (Brad Herman), Jason (Jason Witt) and Heather (Heather Hopkins): I have learned so much from each of you and will cherish your friendship.

Just days after announcing that it shuttered Gourmet, Cookie, Elegant Bride and Modern Bride, the bad news continued to flow from Condé Nast, as Mediaweek reported that the publisher laid off 15 employees from its digital unit, most of them coming from the sales side.

Sources told Mediaweek the victims included executive director of emerging media Richard Glosser, vice president and group publisher Christine DeMaio and Concierge.com editor in chief Peter Frank.