NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Univision Communications, Inc. (UCI) today announced that digital media executive and veteran editor Raju Narisetti has been named Chief Executive Officer for Gizmodo Media Group (GMG), a unit within the company’s Fusion Media Group (FMG). As CEO, he will be responsible for managing all business and editorial operations for the Gizmodo Media Group, home to category-leading brands focused on technology (Gizmodo), car culture (Jalopnik), contemporary women’s interests (Jezebel), sports (Deadspin), lifestyle (Lifehacker), and gaming (Kotaku).
Narisetti, who will be based at GMG headquarters in New York, will report to Isaac Lee, Chief News, Digital and Entertainment Officer of UCI, and Felipe Holguin, President and Chief Operating Officer of FMG. Heather Detrick, President of GMG, John Cook, Executive Editor, and Courtenay O’Connor, GMG Deputy General Counsel, will all report directly to Narisetti. He will formally join Gizmodo Media Group in late October.
“Raju is a rare combination, someone who comes with a very strong background in journalism, became a leader in digital media on three continents, and went on to develop new businesses for a global company,” said Lee. “His commitment to journalistic integrity, his entrepreneurial spirit and proven ability to adapt quickly in a fast-paced digital environment will help us strengthen and grow these newly acquired category-leading brands.”
In addition, “Raju will play an important role on Fusion Media Group's leadership team as we look to deepen the engagement of America’s increasingly diverse television, digital, mobile and social audiences with our portfolio of brands that speak to their interests in a passionate, authentic manner,” added Holguin.
FMG now reaches more than a third of all Americans online each month with 96 million unique visitors, including its extended network. FMG’s collection of digital-first brands serve young, diverse influencers with content that reflects their shared values and passions. In addition to the Gizmodo Media Group, FMG includes FUSION, The Root, Flama, Univision Digital, Univision Music, as well as Univision’s interest in El Rey Network, The Onion, The A.V. Club and ClickHole. FMG also includes Story House, a content development and production unit.
“It is a privilege to be responsible for leading this unwaveringly energetic team of journalists and business staff,” said Narisetti. “As part of Univision, we will now be more ambitious in deepening, broadening and sensibly scaling the passionate digital communities that Gizmodo, Jezebel, Deadspin, Kotaku, Jalopnik and Lifehacker have attracted, by offering accurate, responsible, edgy and engaging journalism, as well as through relevant, related content and commerce.”
Narisetti is currently Senior Vice President, Strategy, of News Corp. Since 2013, he has been responsible for acquisitions and global expansion, while also helping guide and influence the digital growth of News Corp’s existing companies in the news, information, publishing, social video and digital real-estate portfolio, which include The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, Harper-Collins, Realtor.com and Storyful, among others.
Prior to that, Narisetti was Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network. In this role, he headed editorial teams and content strategy for WSJ’s Digital Network, which included WSJ.com, MarketWatch.com, WSJ video platforms, and WSJ/MarketWatch Radio Networks.
Earlier, Narisetti served as Managing Editor of The Washington Post (2009-2012) overseeing digital journalism and adjacent news products, as well as managing editing, design, photo, video, engagement and social media teams, as well as the Post’s Style and other features sections. Narisetti spearheaded the Post’s efforts to combine its separate print and digital newsrooms into an integrated operation. During that period, despite significant business headwinds, the Post achieved record digital audience growth, and won many top journalism awards, including seven Pulitzer Prizes.
Prior to joining the Post, Narisetti was Founder & Editor of India's Mint newspaper (www.livemint.com), now India's second-largest business newspaper, by circulation. Mint is critically acclaimed in India for its high ethical standards and its pioneering Journalism Code of Conduct.
Narisetti started his U.S. journalism career as a summer reporting intern for the WSJ in 1991, and in his first 13-year stint there, held multiple reporting and editing roles, culminating in being named Editor of The Wall Street Journal Europe, and Deputy Managing Editor for the global WSJ, with responsibility for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Narisetti was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007, and is now a member of the WEF’s Global Future Council on Information and Entertainment. He is a life member of South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA.org); and a Trustee of the International Institute of Education (IIE.org), which administers the Fulbright fellowships and operates the Scholar Rescue Fund.
Narisetti has a MA in Journalism from Indiana University, Bloomington; and a BA (Economics) and MBA from India. Born in Hyderabad, India, Narisetti began his journalism career as a Staff Writer at The Economic Times, Delhi.
Narisetti, 50, lives in Brooklyn with his wife and author, Kim Barrington Narisetti, and daughters Leila and Zola. He is often found @raju.
Additional information on the Gizmodo Media Group:
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GIZMODO |
We Come From the Future
16.6M Monthly Uniques 3.5M Social Followers Editor: Katie Drummond |
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DEADSPIN |
Sports News Without Access, Favor, or Discretion
9.3M Monthly Uniques 1.4M Social Followers Editor: Tim Marchman |
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JEZEBEL |
Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women. Without Airbrushing. 8M Monthly Uniques 1M Social Followers Editor: Emma Carmichael |
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JALOPNIK |
Drive Free or Die
5.8M Monthly Uniques 500K Social Followers Editor: Patrick George |
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KOTAKU |
The Gamer’s Guide
5.5M Monthly Uniques 2M Social Followers Editor: Stephen Totilo |
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lifehacker |
Live Life Better
12M monthly uniques 5.8M social followers Editor: Alan Henry |
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| Source: comScore, Q2 2016 averages | ||||
About Univision Communications Inc.
Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) is the leading media company serving Hispanic America. The Company, a leading content creator in the U.S., includes Univision Network, one of the leading networks in the U.S. regardless of language and the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the country available in approximately 93% of U.S. Hispanic television households; UniMás, a leading Spanish-language broadcast television network available in approximately 87% of U.S. Hispanic television households; Univision Cable Networks, including Galavisión, the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language entertainment cable network, as well as UDN (Univision Deportes Network), the most-watched U.S. Spanish-language sports cable network, Univision tlnovelas, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to telenovelas, Fusion, a 24-hour English-language news and lifestyle TV and digital network, ForoTV, a 24-hour Spanish-language cable network dedicated to international news, and an additional suite of cable offerings - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson and Telehit; Univision Television Group, which owns 59 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; digital properties consisting of online and mobile websites and apps, including Univision.com, the most visited Spanish-language website among U.S. Hispanics, Univision Now, a direct to consumer video service, Uforia, a music application featuring multimedia music content, The Root, the leading online news, opinion, and culture destination for African-Americans and a stake in The Onion, the nation’s leading comedy and news satire brand; and Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group in the U.S. which owns and operates 67 radio stations including stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico. UCI’s assets also include a minority stake in El Rey Network, a 24-hour English-language general entertainment cable network. Headquartered in New York City, UCI has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit corporate.univision.com.
