Today, Melissa Bell introduced that she will likely be stepping down as writer of Vox, and that editor-in-chief Swati Sharma will take on the expanded function of editor-in-chief and writer of Vox, reporting to Vox Media president Pam Wasserstein. In addition, Nisha Chittal has been named chief of employees. Bell shared the next in a observe to Vox employees:
“In my two-plus many years of journalism, I’ve labored with many gifted managers, journalists, and visionaries, however Swati is a uncommon mixture of all three. She joined two years in the past to supervise our textual content workforce, and thoroughly and thoughtfully expanded her remit throughout audio and video to arrange an unbelievable operation with a unified workforce, a rigorous strategy to our journalism, and a powerful imaginative and prescient for the place Vox must go subsequent. She is a deeply empathetic chief who focuses on every particular person’s strengths and pushes for a greater Vox each day. Swati will report back to Pam Wasserstein as initially our Editor-in-Chief, and now as Publisher too. She’ll additionally work extra carefully with Jim Bankoff. I’m very excited for her to step into this extra expansive function.
To assist set Vox up for our subsequent decade, Nisha Chittal will likely be stepping right into a Chief of Staff function to assist run the operations of the total, unified newsrooms, oversee our long-term editorial planning, as effectively as handle our Network Development workforce. Nisha has been an unbelievable chief at Vox, at all times discovering methods to make us extra environment friendly, extra communicative. She has helped us grow to be a stronger and higher newsroom, and I’m thrilled to see her broaden her purview at Vox and affect much more elements of this group.
After ten unbelievable years working on Vox, I’m stepping again from my function as writer and turning into an advisor to the corporate…I would like Vox to be an establishment of lasting worth – a spot that outlasts its founders. And after the fast-paced depth of our start-up, I’ve craved time to step again and be capable of take a broader have a look at our business and, hopefully, discover new methods to assist Vox lead the following revolution in our relationship to the information. I might by no means, ever really feel like I may step again from this function if I didn’t have as a lot confidence as I do now about the way forward for Vox, and that’s due to all of you right here, and due to Swati’s management.
This tiny concept I threw round with just a few pals at a unclean dive bar in DC one evening has grow to be an enormous change agent for our business not due to any one among us, however as a result of all of us right here, and lots of different great individuals who have labored right here through the years. You took some a part of our concept and made it smarter, sharper, extra essential. You made it into tv applications, podcasts that air on 100 radio stations across the nation, movies seen all over the world. You made it right into a deep trove of essential articles and factors of reference, centering on our viewers and their wants.
This is a difficult time for the media – however when is it not a difficult time for the media? And nonetheless, Vox has constructed a steadfast function for ourselves within the media firmament. There are just a few causes for our success that I wish to name out. First, we’re conscientious about our enterprise always, even when, and notably when, we now have to make powerful precedence choices to handle the altering market. Second, we heart our viewers; we don’t write for our friends or some small choose group of thought leaders. Our friends and thought leaders learn, pay attention, and watch us as a result of we write for everybody to know the world – together with them, however not only for them. We are accessible – not simply because of our lack of a paywall – however due to our writing, our voices, our dedication to not simply reporting the information, however making it one thing folks wish to have interaction with. Finally, we heart our personal humanity. We are actual folks with actual voices – and we take care of each other simply as we take care of our mission and our viewers.
I will likely be your fiercest fan and assist system eternally. I’m and can eternally be grateful that I get to be part of this workforce, and work alongside among the most artistic, most hard-working, most mission-driven folks within the enterprise.
I can’t wait to see what you all do subsequent. Thank you for giving me the very best expertise of my skilled life.”