Just a few months after joining The New Yorker, Michael Luo is moving up at the magazine.
Luo, who was hired as The New Yorker’s investigative editor in October, has been appointed editor of NewYorker.com. He replaces Nick Thompson, who left to run Wired after leading a years-long renaissance of the website.
“Mike will help the site and our digital evolution accelerate and, at the same time, maintain the standards of accuracy, fairness, and rigor that have made newyorker.com what it is,” New Yorker Editor David Remnick said in an email to staff.
Luo appears to be a natural pick to succeed Thompson. An alumnus of The New York Times metro desk, his experience with the fast-paced world of daily journalism seems to align with The New Yorker’s speedy digital arm.
Here’s Remnick’s full memo:
Everyone involved with the extraordinary evolution of newyorker.com should be feeling a great sense of pride. Now that Nick Thompson has gone off to edit Wired, Michael Luo will be the editor of the site. As you know, Mike only just arrived in November to be a senior editor/investigations editor. Previously, he spent thirteen years at the New York Times, where he was not only a distinguished editor and reporter, he was also deeply involved in that organization’s planning for the digital future. Together with Vera Titunik and so many other remarkable talents that we’ve been fortunate enough to attract, Mike will help the site and our digital evolution accelerate and, at the same time, maintain the standards of accuracy, fairness, and rigor that have made newyorker.com what it is.
Over and over again in recent months, I’ve heard from many readers––by email, on the phone, on the subway––who are following us with incredible attention. Their comments, both complimentary and critical, are an inspiration. If there ever was a more important extended moment for American reporting, commentary, and writing, I don’t remember it.
A few words about Mike: In 2016, his reporters at the Times were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in three categories. Besides his investigative work, he was also an editor on the Times’ race team and part of a company-wide strategy committee aimed at widening its U.S. audience. Prior to becoming an editor in 2014, he was a reporter on the Times’ investigations desk. He also wrote about economics and the recession as a national correspondent; covered the 2008 and 2012 Presidential campaigns, as well as the 2010 midterm elections; and did stints in the Times’ Washington and Baghdad bureaus. Mike has also worked at A.P., Newsday and the Los Angeles Times. In 2002, he won a George Polk Award for criminal justice reporting and a Livingston Award for Young Journalists for a series of articles on three poor, mentally retarded African-Americans in Alabama who were in prison for killing a baby who probably never existed. As a result of the series, two of the prisoners were freed; the third remained in prison on a separate charge. At newyorker.com he will continue to be involved in discussing and planning investigative work, and he will work with Pam, Lisa, and me on overall digital strategy.
Please join me in congratulating Mike.
Best, David
