Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news highlighting women’s roles, contributions, and achievements in the evolving media business. This latest installment covers a recent panel of leaders in media and other industries, the Fortune Most Powerful Women list and conference, winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Thurber prize for humor writing, interviews with media chiefs, and more.
- Redefining leadership Droga5, MSNBC, and Adweek recently brought together a power panel of women in media, marketing, and other industries to discuss the challenges and opportunities they see as female leaders. The group—(pictured from left) Liza Landsman, Sarah Thompson, Mika Brzezinski, Rebecca Minkoff, Dawn Hudson, and Kristin Lemkau—offered their views and advice on everything from risk-taking to defining your personal brand and value to what it takes to build a top-notch team. Read what panel members had to say on Adweek’s site—great stuff shared by all!
- Power meet The Fortune Most Powerful Women annual conference also kicked off, with the theme “Leading with Purpose,” according to the summit agenda. Event highlights included speakers, interviews, and panels with leaders across business, media, and other industries. This year, Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women includes 27 CEOs—who the site says together control a trillion dollars in stock market value—as well as 24 more women recognized for the significant impact they’ve had in their fields. You can get the full list of honorees, including profiles of each, on the publication’s site.
- Prestigious honor Belarussian journalist and prose writer Svetlana Alexievich won the Nobel Prize in Literature for her stories about female Russian soldiers in World War II and the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. In announcing the award, the Swedish Academy said Alexievich’s writing is “a monument to suffering and courage in our time,” according to a New York Times report. It said Alexievich, the 14th woman to be awarded the prize, is among just a handful of nonfiction writers to achieve Nobel laureate status, noting her selection is being “lauded as a long overdue corrective, and as a high point for journalism as a literary art.”
- Some serious humor writing This year’s Thurber prize for American humor went to Julie Schumacher for her novel Dear Committee Members, marking the first time a female has received the honor in its 20-year history. In fact, all three of this year’s finalists were women, according to the Guardian. The two other nominees were Roz Chast, for an account of her interactions with her aging parents (Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?), and Annabelle Gurwitch, for a collection of essays about aging (I See You Made An Effort: Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the Edge of 50). Schumacher received the prize at a ceremony in New York hosted by journalist Henry Alford, who dubbed the event the “Oscars of humorous prose.” Congrats!
- Staying relevant In an interview with WWD, longtime Elle EIC Robbie Myers touches on a range of topics, including “media” vs. “women’s media,” the relevancy of today’s fashion magazines, and how breaking coverage on important issues and good writing play into that. She also addresses Hearst’s push into native advertising and digital, as well as the role of social media and technology. “Elle should be in any medium that it can be, so long as it is an active expression of the brand,” Myers says.
- More valuable insights Other recent interviews worth checking out include Digital Book World’s chat with Mary Ann Naples, senior vice president and publisher of Rodale Books, which covers health and wellness categories. She discusses her goals for the newly launched Rodale Wellness content and e-commerce site, the publishing business as a whole, innovation, and much more. And a Mr. Magazine Q&A with Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, owner of family-run Hoffman Media, details how the publisher grew a small group of needlework and craft magazines into “a force to be reckoned with when it comes to southern women’s magazines,” including Southern Homes, Bake From Scratch, and Southern Cast Iron.
Hiring news roundup
- Kelly Andresen joined Gannett as vice president, branded content. She previously was director of WP BrandStudio & Planning at The Washington Post.
- Mary Berner stepped down as president and CEO of MPA to take on the role of CEO at Cumulus Media.
- Edith Chapin was named executive editor at NPR, where she had been serving as interim executive editor.
- Sue Cross was appointed executive director and CEO of The Institute for Nonprofit News. She had been senior vice president at the Associated Press.
- Irene Edwards, formerly head editor at Lonny, is now editor in chief of Sunset.
- Rheta Gallagher joined Dispatch Magazines as associate publisher and advertising director. She previously held advertising roles at the Dispatch Printing Co., American Community Newspapers, and CM Media.
- Cathy Hoffman Glosser joined Condé Nast as senior vice president of licensing, a new role at the company.
- Eden Gorcey was appointed head of branded content, digital sales and strategy, at Condé Nast Entertainment.
- Liz Heron departed Facebook to join The Huffington Post as executive editor.
- Sallie Krawcheck is launching a digital investment platform for women called Ellevest, where she will serve as CEO. Krawcheck, who previously was president of global wealth and investment management at Bank of America, will remain as chair of the Ellevate Network, a professional women’s network.
- Rebecca Nicholson was appointed editor in chief of Vice UK. Nicholson previously was features editor at the Guardian.
- Elizabeth Schimel, currently president of Condé Nast China, was named a vice president of Condé Nast International. She will also join the company’s executive committee.
- Joan Walsh joined The Nation as national affairs correspondent after 17 years at Salon, where she served as editor in chief for six years. She will continue her role as an analyst at MSNBC.
Let us know in the comments if there are any other recent stories or career moves you’d like us to include in our next Women in Media roundup.
Photo: Adweek
Technology for Publishing’s Women in Media blog highlights the news and achievements of female leaders and role models in the publishing and media industry. Look for our in-depth profiles and interviews of top women to watch. Is there someone you’d like to nominate for an upcoming Q&A? Drop us a note!
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
