Philly.com Hires Next City Editor

Diana Lind will be director of digital audience development.

Diana Lind, editor-in-chief at NextCity.org. Photo by Inna Spivakova.

Diana Lind, editor-in-chief at NextCity.org. Photo by Inna Spivakova.

Philly.com has made another high-profile hire — bringing Diana Lind, the editor in chief at Next City, aboard to be its director of digital audience development.

Employees at Interstate General Media, the owner of Philly.com, the Inquirer, and the Daily News, were told this morning in a memorandum emailed to the staff.

“This is a new role that will collaborate closely with the newsrooms and other parts of the organization to evolve how we promote and share the work we do and to help us engage the community in our journalism,” Eric Ulken, Philly.com’s executive director of digital strategy, said in the memo. “Diana joins a growing team of leaders with diverse digital experience, and her appointment represents another big step toward expanding our audience and strengthening our bond with readers.”

Lind spent six years at Next City, a Philly-based website that covers issues involving urbanism. She spoke to Philly Mag in September abut cultivating a mostly female masthead; she is scheduled to interview Christina Weiss Lurie at Philly Mag’s ThinkFest on Nov. 14.

The full memo below:

From: “Tevis, Jonathan P.”
Date:11/03/2014 9:01 AM (GMT-05:00)
To: All IGM Employees
Subject: Announcement on behalf of Eric Ulken

Colleagues: I am excited to announce the hiring of Diana Lind as our director of digital audience development. This is a new role that will collaborate closely with the newsrooms and other parts of the organization to evolve how we promote and share the work we do and to help us engage the community in our journalism. Diana joins a growing team of leaders with diverse digital experience, and her appointment represents another big step toward expanding our audience and strengthening our bond with readers.

Diana is currently executive director and editor in chief of Next City, a Philadelphia non-profit devoted to coverage of urban development issues around the world. In her six years with Next City, Diana has overseen the publication’s transformation from a print magazine into a thriving fully digital organization with a successful subscription model and a dynamic events series. Under Diana’s leadership, Next City has excelled in disseminating its journalism through various digital channels including mobile apps, search and social media, and in building real-world connections among virtual communities.

Here’s what Diana had to say about her next challenge:

“I’m thrilled to join Philadelphia Media Network at this particular moment when the company is investing in its digital strategy and the transformation of Philly.com’s website and brand. Moreover, I’m eager to be leading a new focus on audience development — the critical link between editorial, marketing, product development and events — that will help ensure the company’s long-term digital success. My hope is that by connecting these departments with the shared goal of building a deeper understanding of and connection to the audience, we’ll simultaneously improve the quality of Philly.com’s offerings and its revenue streams.”

“As someone who studies urban affairs, I believe that healthy, local media is critical to the success of any city. I’m motivated to work on Philly.com because I believe that, as the leading digital news source for the region, the website has the potential for even greater impact on Philadelphia.”

Diana was a 2011 Van Alen Institute Fellow and is the author of Brooklyn Modern: Architecture, Interiors & Design. She holds a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.F.A. from Columbia University. Her writing has been published in The New York Times, Architectural Record, and other publications.

Diana starts December 8 and will report to me. I look forward to leveraging her expertise in support of our goal of bringing the world-class journalism of The Inquirer and Daily News to new audiences, and making Philly.com the region’s indispensable hub for information and conversation.

Eric Ulken
Executive Director, Digital Strategy
Philly.com • The Philadelphia Inquirer • Philadelphia Daily News