James Bennet | The New York Observer

Triumph of the Un-Celebrity Editor

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:39:15 -0400

Ad Age has named James Bennet, editor in chief at The Atlantic, their Editor of the Year. Bennet has been at the magazine since 2006, when owner David Bradley tapped him for the top post. Bennet was a longtime Times reporter without tons of editorial experience; Bradley called him "a profound and extreme talent who led quietly." At the time, Slate's Jack Shafer interpreted it as a big-personality owner's efforts to steer the magazine...

Former Housemates Andrew Sullivan and Michael Hirschorn Discuss Future of Media

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 00:08:00 -0400

"What's the cost of being a nerd?" read the neon sign that greeted guests emerging from the elevator at Justin Smith's apartment in Tribeca last night.

Provocative though it was, that question was not what had brought Bonnie Fuller, John Stossel, Adam Moss, Nick Denton, Sigourney Weaver, Ira Glass, Judith Regan, Wendy Williams, and a smattering of semi-bold names—some clutching notebooks, many clutching drinks—to this event. They were here at the invitation of The...

Release: The Atlantic Hires Wired's Bob Cohn as Editorial Director for Web Site

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:24:40 -0500

The Atlantic's press reps just sent out a release announcing the hiring of Bob Cohn as editorial director of the 151-year-old magazine's Web site. Mr. Cohn, most recently Executive Editor of Wired, will be filling the newly-created job in The Atlantic's Washington, D.C. offices.

In a statement, Atlantic editor James Bennet said:

'Bob brings to The Atlantic a superb record as an editor and writer, and a deep understanding of the relationship between...

Absentminded Professors, Rejoice! The Atlantic Says Thinking is Cool Again

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:10:05 -0400

With nearly every headline about the future of print media a grim one, last evening seemed like bad timing for the re-branding of a 150-year-old thought-leader magazine often seen as stodgy and behind the times.

But it was an unseasonably warm autumn night, the moon was full, the Dow had recovered a historic 936 points the day before--and The Atlantic was super-excited about their new brand.

The re-branding campaign and redesign of the magazine and website...

Dear Jeffrey: Goldberg Begins Advice Column in The Atlantic

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:51:41 -0400

For the last few months, The Atlantic's Web site has featured a call for readers to submit questions for a new advice columnist. James Bennet, the magazine's editor, has been mum about the writer his magazine had enlisted as its answer to Ask Amy.

A post on Pentagram's blog reveals all: The Atlantic's new advice column will be called "What's Your Problem?" and be written by Jeffrey Goldberg. (Pentagram link comes via...

The Atlantic Redesigns; Andrew Sullivan Bigger Than Ever

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:43:33 -0400

The Atlantic's PR reps just sent out some PDFs of the magazine's new look, as overseen and conceived by editor James Bennet and Pentagram's Michael Bierut.

In an essay in the November issue of the 151-year-old magazine, Mr. Beirut writes:

I was both honored and daunted to receive the commission to create a new design for The Atlantic. I know the magazine well, having been a faithful reader for the past 20 years, and...

McCain Manipulating Photographer Dropped by Agency

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 17:50:38 -0400

The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg is reporting on his blog that photographer Jill Greenberg has been dropped by her photo agency, Vaughan Hannigan Artists. A call to the agency by Media Mob confirmed the news.

As you may have already read elsewhere, Ms. Greenberg created controversy by posting unflattering and grotesquely retouched outtakes from her John McCain cover shoot for The Atlantic on her site, The Manipulator. Among the retouched photos is one showing...

[em]New York[/em] Mag to Spotlight New(ish), Young(ish) Editors

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 13:32:11 -0500

What's the statute of limitations on being a young talent to watch? Next week, former prodigy Adam Moss, 48, will use New York magazine to anoint the newest Wunderkindergarten class of editors. According to sources with knowledge of the project, the photo spread, with accompanying text by Carl Swanson, will include The New Republic's Franklin Foer (age 31), The Atlantic's James Bennet (39), Harper's Roger Hodge (38), and the Paris Review's Philip Gourevitch...

Miller's Latest Subject: Qaddafi

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:55:05 -0500

The piece that Judith Miller is working on for the Atlantic appears to be a profile of Libya's Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, according to sources familiar with the magazine or with Miller's activities. Earlier this week, Miller told the Media Mob she had recently returned from the Middle East. According to one source, Miller's Atlantic piece was assigned months ago, before the March 1 appointment of James Bennet to be editor. It is unclear whether Bennet,...

Miller Back from Middle East, Writing for [em]Atlantic[/em]

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 06:23:26 -0500

A source at the Atlantic confirms that former New York Times reporter/journalistic privilege test case Judith Miller is working on a piece for the magazine. The possibility of Miller's return to writing was first reported yesterday by Gawker. According to the Atlantic source, Miller is working on a reported piece--and not a first-person account of her crisis at the Times, like Howell Raines' 20,000-odd word Atlantic piece of May 2004. Newly appointed Atlantic editor...