Michael Learmonth, who has been covering the the online video space for Silicon Alley Insider for the past several months, and has been beating the pants off many of his colleagues with numerous scoops, is leaving the Insider to join Advertising Age, Beet.TV has learned.
Michael is one of the best reporters on digital media we know,
having cut his teeth at the Industry Standard and then handling the media beat at Reuters and
Variety. Congrats to Jonah Bloom and his colleagues at Ad Age for an
outstanding hire.
Update: Jonah Bloom, Editor in Chief of Ad Age just sent me this statement about hiring Michael:
It’s pretty simple: We’re determined to be the best
source of news and analysis on marketing and media in the world and doing that
requires having the best journalists in the sector. I think Michael is one of
those and having him join our already incredibly talented team will help us to
continue to chart the massive and fascinating changes taking place in this
business–a business that is of overwhelming importance to the global economy.
This is a second high-profile departure from the influential
technology/media blog headed by Henry Blodget. Editor Peter Kafka is going over to the Dow Jones’ All Things Digital, as reported by Kara Swisher earlier today.
btw: I was at the Dow Jones offices earlier today to interview Journal DME Alan Murray, to talk about the WSJ site redesign (great interviews to come). I rode up the elevator with Rupert who was deep in conversation. I should have taken out my camera! I could tell he is so excited to be a newspaper man. It really shows.
Later, after my interview with Alan, I met with Dow Jones executives who were overjoyed to welcome Peter. Nice catch, I must say.
Best to you both.
— Andy Plesser, Executive Producer
