New York, November 5, 2012 – Social news site BuzzFeed announced today it has hired Steve Kandell to pioneer the project of producing high-quality narrative journalism for the social web. Kandell, an established and accomplished writer and editor, will bring years of his magazine experience to advance a new genre of longform journalism purely for the Internet.
"The social web has created an opportunity for an exciting revival of longform and Steve is perfectly positioned to pioneer the social future of narrative journalism at BuzzFeed. Steve’s deep experience in magazine writing and editing really make him the ideal candidate to craft longform narratives that inspire conversation and sharing,” said Doree Shafrir, BuzzFeed’s Executive Editor.
"Even though print itself is becoming less prevalent, the conversation-provoking longform journalism and profiles that have long been a staple of magazines are as vital as they’ve ever been, and I'm thrilled to help make this kind of writing a working part of the social web at BuzzFeed,” said Kandell.
Steve Kandell spent six years at SPIN, most recently as its Editor-in-Chief during the magazine’s redesign, and is currently a freelance editor at Details. For five years, he oversaw features as deputy editor and wrote the magazine’s cover stories on Amy Winehouse, Bruce Springsteen & Arcade Fire and U2. He also helped shepherd recent SPIN features on the rise of Korean pop music, rappers during the Tunisian uprising and the magazine’s early coverage of the bath salts phenomenon. Before joining SPIN, Kandell was an editor at Blender and Maxim. A New Jersey native, Kandell is a graduate of The California Institute of the Arts and now lives in Brooklyn.
Longform currently on BuzzFeed:
Michael Hastings’ “The Vices Of The Knife: Oliver Stone Talks Politics, Weed, And The Potential Petraeus Coup”
Doree Shafrir’s “Can You Die From A Nightmare?”
John R. Bohrer’s “Making Mitt: The Myth of George Romney”
Media Contact:
Ashley McCollum
BuzzFeed, Press Manager
ashley.mccollum@buzzfeed.com
347.977.1411
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About BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed is the leading social news organization, intensely focused on delivering high-quality original reporting, insight, and social content across a rapidly expanding array of subject areas. BuzzFeed’s technology powers the social distribution of content, detects what is trending on the web, and connects people in real-time with the hottest content of the moment. BuzzFeed.com is growing rapidly and reaches more than 25 million monthly unique visitors. Jonah Peretti, founder & CEO of BuzzFeed, previously co-founded the Huffington Post. Ben Smith is its Editor-in-chief.