Time picks Scherer as Washington chief
Time magazine has tapped White House correspondent Michael Scherer to be Washington bureau chief, one of a string of hires and promotions at the sole surviving newsweekly.
Scherer is the first to hold the position since Jay Carney, the current press secretary for President Obama, left to go to work for Joe Biden after the 2008 election.
Ben Goldberger will become Nation editor, covering all national news not originating in DC.
Since 2008, Executive Editor Michael Duffy, a Beltway insider who has resisted calls to move further up the masthead in New York, has been doing all three jobs. He keeps his executive editor slot.
In other moves, Time hired Jack Dickey as a reporter covering sports and culture. As a writer for Gawker Media’s Deadspin site, he helped break the story about Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and the hoax surrounding his girlfriend.
Also, Maya Rhodan will join the magazine’s Washington bureau, while Eliza Gray was recruited from the New Republic.
The moves announced yesterday point to a major redesign of Time.com ahead of the Time Inc. spinoff later this year.
“We have been producing exceptional journalism, photography, video and design this year,” said Managing Editor Rick Stengel in his memo to staffers.
“We are also in the midst of a sizable investment in the relaunch of Time.com and our mobile platforms by the end of the year. This is allowing us both to innovate in our journalism and bring in new talent to create it.”
Meanwhile, Time Inc. appears to be closing in on a new CEO as Time Warner prepares for the spinoff of its magazine division near the end of the year.
Michael Klingensmith is the reported front-runner, and some sources say an announcement could happen within the week.
Klingensmith, a former Time Inc. chief financial officer and executive vice presiden, is currently chief executive of Star Tribune Media, the publisher of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
One big headache he will face is the declining profitability of the print magazines in the news group, which includes the flagship Time and Sports Illustrated.
While the group’s combined revenues are said to be around $750 million, its profitability is down nearly 50 percent over the past four years.