AOL Huffington Post Media Group Launches HuffPost San Francisco

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The AOL Huffington Post Media Group, a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information, announced today the launch of HuffPost San Francisco, providing the city with The Huffington Post’s unique combination of real-time news and opinion, and a passionate and engaged community powered by the latest social media tools. HuffPost San Francisco editors are coordinating coverage with Patch to leverage the eyes and ears of the Bay Area’s 24 hyperlocal sites. Carly Schwartz is the Editor of HuffPost San Francisco and Robin Wilkey is Associate Editor. Arianna Huffington, President and Editor-in-Chief of AOL Huffington Post Media Group, made the announcement.

“We’re delighted to launch HuffPost San Francisco as our latest local section”

“We’re delighted to launch HuffPost San Francisco as our latest local section,” said Arianna Huffington. “We intend to offer a one-stop-shop for local news and opinion – whether it’s reviews of below-the-radar restaurants or analysis about the Giants, 49ers, and Warriors for the city’s committed sports fans. San Francisco is also famous for the strong opinions of its residents, so we look forward to providing them with a new platform for sounding off on – and contributing to – the local stories that matter most to them and most impact their lives.”

Said Brian Farnham, Editor-in-Chief of Patch: "Patch is so happy to welcome HuffPost San Francisco into the region - and to dig deep into continued collaborative opportunities surrounding the news and issues that are top of mind for the Bay Area community. We're excited to be able to combine HuffPost's reach, sensibility and community engagement offerings with Patch's hyperlocal focus on the most relevant news for our readers."

HuffPost San Francisco applies The Huffington Post's flair – its story selection, images and headlines – to San Francisco’s news of the day. HuffPost San Francisco offers the comprehensiveness of local newspapers with the immediacy and smart 'intel' of local blogs. HuffPost San Francisco features a roundup of city news as well as a fast-paced guide to the latest on restaurants, real estate, technology, neighborhoods, green living and cultural happenings. The destination is broad in scope and has a point of view, with everything from the latest crime stats to the cheapest places for good Chinese food.

The site will spotlight local reporting and will collaborate with HuffPost’s Impact section to highlight San Franciscans and nonprofits in need, as well the local agents of change creating solutions to the most pressing problems confronting the city and state – from education to the environment.

HuffPost San Francisco features well-known San Franciscans and experts on the city blogging about what excites them, whether it's about targeting a new restaurant that's more hype than substance or shedding light on a thorny local political issue. Well-known current and former residents of the city who will be blogging on the site include: Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader; Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist; Ed Lee, the Mayor of San Francisco; Maggie Rizer, model; Michael Brune, president of the Sierra Club; Traci Des Jardins, Top Chef Masters alum, and many more.

Editor Carly Schwartz is moving from The Huffington Post’s news desk. She was previously a Front Page Editor at the site as well. Prior to HuffPost, Schwartz ran new media efforts for California Governor Jerry Brown’s campaign, writing and editing his official blog and designing his digital strategy. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Schwartz will return to her favorite city to launch HuffPost’s newest local vertical. Said Ms. Schwartz: “Launching a local version of HuffPost in San Francisco has long been a dream of mine, even since before I began working here. It's the ideal city for a HuffPost presence: tech-savvy, in-the-know, opinionated, engaged, and curious. I'm so thrilled to be a part of this exciting venture and look forward to building a daily must-visit news source for a Bay Area audience. And it's great to be home.”

Robin Wilkey, Associate Editor of HuffPost San Francisco, is a San Francisco-based writer and editor. Before joining The Huffington Post, Wilkey was the Editor-in-Chief at San Francisco Brides and In-Room Cityguide, the Marketing Editor at San Francisco magazine, and the Weekend Guide Editor at Daily Candy San Francisco. Wilkey is a native of the Bay Area of California and a graduate of the University of San Francisco, where she studied Politics.

About AOL

AOL Inc. (NYSE: AOL) is a premier global media company with a suite of brands and products serving consumers, advertisers and publishers worldwide. The AOL Huffington Post Media Group is a leading source of news, opinion, entertainment, community and digital information comprising a wide range of destination websites, including AOL.com, The Huffington Post, TechCrunch, Moviefone, Engadget, Patch, AOL Music, StyleList and MapQuest. The AOL Advertising.com Group includes Advertising.com, ADTECH, Pictela, Video (inclusive of AOL Video, goviral and 5min Media), Content Solutions and Sponsored Listings and serves a combined content and advertising market at scale through video, brand advertising, content and ad serving. AOL is focused on engaging consumers and providing online advertising services and solutions on both AOL Huffington Post Media Group destination websites and third-party websites, in addition to serving consumer platforms including AOL Mail, AIM, about.me, and mobile experiences. AOL also operates one of the largest Internet subscription access services in the U.S., which serves as another distribution channel for its consumer subscription products, such as AOL TechGuru and Computer Checkup.