Kyle Pope, formerly the number two editor at Conde Nast Portfolio, has been announced as the next editor of The New York Observer.
Observer publisher Jared Kushner announced the appointment today. Editor Tom McGeveran, who announced last week that he will be leaving the paper at the end of the year, introduced Mr. Pope to the editorial staff at a meeting this afternoon.
Mr. Pope started his career in journalism in 1994 as reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal. He was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer for the paper’s coverage of the 9/11 attacks. He spent two years freelancing for the op-ed section of the Los Angeles Times and the Arts and Style section of The New York Times. His last job was at Portfolio, where he spent three years prior to the magazine’s shuttering.
“I’ve gotten to spend some time with him over the last couple of days and the things that impressed me most were his intimate knowledge of this paper as a reader and his love of what the Observer stands for, and the fact that he understands and values the hard work and talent that great journalism requires,” Mr. McGeveran said. “I look forward to working with him to help him get up and running quickly, and wish him the very best.”
The announcement is reproduced in full below:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK OBSERVER NAMES KYLE POPE AS EDITOR
November 5, 2009 – Kyle Pope, veteran reporter and former editor for Conde Nast Portfolio, The Wall Street Journal and Inside.com, has been named editor of the New York Observer.
In making the announcement, Observer owner and publisher Jared Kushner said, “Kyle is an outstanding journalist – an accomplished reporter and editor – who also possesses an intimate knowledge of the media business. We’re looking forward to his leadership in helping to shape and sharpen our product as we continue to drive this newspaper forward. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”
Kyle Pope said, “New York is unlike any other place in the world and the Observer is better positioned than any newspaper in town to truly reveal – in its own unique style – what makes it tick. The Observer has a great history covering this city, and I’m excited to be part of its future. I look forward to working with the talented people on the staff and can’t wait to get started.”
Pope will join the Observer this Monday, November 9th. For the next several weeks he will work alongside Tom McGeveran, who has served as Interim Editor and will remain with the paper until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. Pope’s first issue as editor of the Observer will be December 9th.
Over the past 15 years, Kyle Pope has worked for some of the country’s most prestigious media organizations and covered a wide range of topics including finance, media, technology, culture and entertainment. Beginning in 1994, Pope spent a decade at The Wall Street Journal as a staff reporter and editor, including as editor of the flagship “Heard on the Street” column. He was part of the team of reporters and editors awarded the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
From 2004-2006, he was a freelance contributor for the Sunday op-ed section of The Los Angeles Times and the Arts and Style sections of The New York Times. Prior to joining the Observer, Pope spent three years at Conde Nast Portfolio, serving as one of two top editors at the magazine until earlier this year. He also helped launch Inside.com and served as a senior editor of Inside magazine.
