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Topic: Memos Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 4/14/2005 4:20:10 PM
Title: Murphy to step down as Atlantic Monthly editor
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
To: All Atlantic Media staff
From: John Sullivan and John Galloway
Date: April 14, 2005

Earlier today, we made a difficult announcement to our colleagues in the Atlantic Monthly’s Boston office about the eventual transition of most editorial roles from Boston to Washington. Knowing that this news is unexpected, we want to provide some background and context, as well as address some likely questions.

As you know, The Atlantic has made a good deal of progress editorially and commercially over the last few years (readership and newsstand sales are at record levels, advertising pages are up, and there is a "buzz" about the magazine again). At the same time, we are acutely aware that we still have a lot of work to do to realize our ambition of making The Atlantic the country’s most influential magazine while also getting the magazine to sound economic ground.

In order to help us achieve that goal, and after much deliberation, we have decided that our best bet is to shift the center of gravity of The Atlantic’s editorial operations from Boston to Washington where it will benefit from the larger scale of our other publications, 250+ staff and management team. The move offers some economies of scale and, more importantly, the ability to tap into the economies of intellect available once we have all of our editorial talent in one location.

The shift from Boston to Washington has, in fact, been occurring slowly for some years, with more staff members and correspondents based in Washington; and it is consistent with the magazine’s growing ambitions in the realms of foreign-affairs and political reporting. ...We anticipate that by some point early next year most editorial functions and roles will be located in Washington. ...

Without question, the hardest part of this decision is the impact it will have on our 37 colleagues in Boston - immensely talented, dedicated individuals - who have served the magazine with distinction (in some cases, for decades). Although we likely will continue to have some presence in Boston, the bulk of the editorial operation will be in Washington. And although we would like to keep all members of the staff with us as we move, and have extended that offer to them, we recognize that some of our colleagues simply will not be able to relocate, owing to personal or other considerations. We will be working with all staff to determine how we can best help them by providing either relocation or transition assistance, but there is no way to mask the difficulty of this decision on a personal level.

Another difficult part of this decision involves the magazine’s close relationship with the city of Boston, where it has been since its founding in 1857. As many of you experienced during last summer’s Democratic Convention, to enter The Atlantic’s office is to encounter a unique and powerful culture and a strong sense of historical connection. Disrupting this tradition is not a decision we reached lightly, but it offers, we believe, our best chance to continue to produce a magazine worthy of The Atlantic’s heritage.

For those of us in Washington, the impact of this decision is less direct, but no less meaningful given our concern and affection for our Atlantic colleagues. As we transition The Atlantic operation to the Watergate, there will be requests for assistance and ample opportunities for those interested to get involved. ...

In a paragraph above we said that the hardest part of the decision was the knowledge of its impact on our 37 colleagues. The hardest part within that hardest part is the decision by Cullen Murphy, The Atlantic’s managing editor, to step down from his position when the transition to D.C. is complete. Cullen has reached the conclusion that this is the right time for him to step down as he personally is unable to relocate to D.C., is convinced that one cannot manage a magazine like The Atlantic from long distance, and has other interests to pursue (including a long-overdue book).

Cullen will lead the magazine from Boston through the transition to Washington. After that he will continue to work with some of The Atlantic’s senior writers, and will always be an important part of our organization. He has been with The Atlantic for 20 years, effectively doing two jobs for the last three as he has functioned as both editor and managing editor. Cullen is supremely talented and univers beloved by staff, writers and the literary community. Most notably, Cullen is a man of unmatched character and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have him as a colleague and friend. ...

With Cullen’s decision, we find ourselves in the market for an editor for The Atlantic. David Bradley and John Sullivan will be leading the search for someone worthy of both The Atlantic's tradition and our ambitions for the future.

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