Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal is stepping down after six years at the helm and four of those also as chief executive.
From 1 June Felsenthal will become executive chairman and, he said, “become a contributing editor, writing, working with our Events and Studios teams and supporting our company and our journalism in every way I can”.
He will be succeeded at the 100-year-old magazine title by Sam Jacobs as interim editor-in-chief. Jacobs has spent a decade at Time, including as deputy editor over the past four years.
Time chief executive Jessica Sibley, who herself took that top job in November after joining from Forbes, said: “I look forward to working with Sam as we continue our focus on Time’s digital transformation and the growth of our storied brand.”
Felsenthal has been editor-in-chief since 2017 and was chief executive from 2018 when Time was bought by tech entrepreneur Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne.
He said in his message to staff on Monday: “In my first editor’s letter to readers in 2017, I wrote about the obligation that all of us feel to ensure an extraordinary Second Century for this institution. Time couldn’t be in better hands with Jess leading our company, Sam steering our journalism, and all of you who further our mission every day.”
In an interview with Press Gazette in 2020, Felsenthal said at that point Time was focused on growing beyond the print product: “I think for a long time, Time and the other magazines… at Time Inc, there was a stated commitment to digital, and certainly some meaningful efforts to be digital. But frankly the print profits were so significant for so long that I think the company suffered from the innovators’ dilemma and there wasn’t really the incentive to go hard at digital. And we’ve been deeply focused on getting out of that headspace.”
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