Sam Stein, senior politics editor at HuffPost, is leaving his job for one at the Daily Beast amid broad layoffs and a leadership change at his previous employer.
News I hate to report: @samsteinhp joining the Daily Beast.
— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) June 19, 2017
HuffPost employees learned of the change on Monday, according to a report by Politico.
Stein’s announced departure was the latest in a line of shakeups for HuffPost, which rebranded from its former name “The Huffington Post” in April as part of an overhaul led by editor-in-chief Lydia Polgreen and CEO Jared Grusd.
In May, HuffPost D.C. bureau chief Ryan Grim left the site to join the Intercept in the same capacity. HuffPost laid off 39 staffers last week, including Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Wood, as part of “broader corporate cutbacks.”
In a newsroom memo, Polgreen acknowledged Stein’s role as the site’s first reporter, according to Politico.
“In 2009, Sam made history, becoming the first reporter from an online-only media outlet to ask a question of the president at a press conference,” Polgreen said, as quoted in the report.
Stein’s colleagues responded to the announcement on Twitter.
.@samsteinhp is a one of a kind reporter, editor, boss, and human being. HuffPost will never be the same.
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) June 19, 2017
I love @samsteinhp.
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) June 19, 2017
.@samsteinhp made our site what it is today. Can’t overstate his influence on HuffPost’s reporting, editing, management, culture, etc https://t.co/R1I1JHvG1X
— Amanda Terkel (@aterkel) June 19, 2017
I can't imagine the @dailybeast knows just how lucky they are to have @samsteinhp joining their team. They are simply the luckiest. https://t.co/gZBzG6CaF4
— Ashley Alman (@ashleyalman) June 19, 2017
Somehow @samsteinhp found the hours in the day to be a great reporter, editor, manager, mentor and colleague at the same time
— Ariel Edwards-Levy (@aedwardslevy) June 19, 2017
HuffPost is a sad ghost of its former self, and Stein is smart to make his exit ahead of the inevitable re-arranging of the deck chairs.
Are they still up to date on news about vaccine dangers, the benefits of meditation, and quantum healing?
Ever since the election their views have been way down.
Sam stein to me was never the most effective tv pundit: a not too forceful, more to the left, less douchey Halperin. Never was able to muster the righteous indignance of Howard Fineman, for instance.
But I gotta imagine that his departure will further HP’s slide. Those clickbait headlines (“Maher Unmasked! exclaimation points!”), those shoddy analyses (“up yours, Nate Silver! She’s Got This!”), the emphasis on stories better left to E!. I don’t
know where they went wrong.
Chasing $$$$$$$$$$ instead of chasing news.
And they worked overtime to destroy the commentariat that had developed of the years.