The Daily Dot, a leading online news source for internet culture and technology, has appointed former BuzzFeed managing editor Whitney Jefferson to the position of executive editor.
With a track record of building strong online communities, Jefferson’s addition has sparked excitement throughout Fragment Media Group, which found its earliest success identifying and serving communities most of the media ignores.
“As a longtime reader and fan of the Daily Dot, I am deeply honored by the opportunity to work alongside its talented team to deliver exceptional content that informs and inspires our readership,” said Jefferson.
“Working alongside brilliant colleagues who are breaking news while reporting on the ‘internet weirdos’ of the world is simply a dream come true. I am eager to collaborate and contribute to The Daily Dot’s mission of informing, educating, and empowering people around the globe.”
‘I’m really excited to bring my wealth of knowledge about pop culture and internet oddities to the Daily Dot.’
Jefferson has had a lengthy history of building strong online communities. Her media career began as an intern at Gawker before rising up the ranks to become an editor at Jezebel. She left for BuzzFeed, working there for 11 years and ultimately rising to the position of managing editor, where she was instrumental in developing large audiences and building authentic communities.
According to Fragment Media Group CEO Nicholas White, Jefferson’s experience in audience development and community building is precisely what the Daily Dot needs to cement their presence as the best and most comprehensive coverage of internet culture. “Having led many key initiatives at both Gawker and BuzzFeed, Whitney has built very strong audiences — and more importantly communities — at the highest levels,” said White. “But she is also an intensely online person — she is deeply engaged with internet culture and is a long-time reader of the Daily Dot.”
Jefferson proudly claims that intense fascination for the depths of the internet. “As someone who identifies as an extremely ‘online’ person, I’m so happy to be employed at a place that truly values the communal water cooler that is the internet,” said Jefferson. “I’m really excited to bring my wealth of knowledge about pop culture and internet oddities to the Daily Dot.”
Building off of her exceptional internet knowledge, Jefferson is eager to explore new avenues for audience engagement. “I’m excited to apply my experience in audience development to the Daily Dot’s active community and collaborate with my colleagues to cultivate and foster more meaningful relationships with our readers,” Jefferson said. “In particular, I’m looking forward to exploring new avenues for audience engagement, including the development of a membership model that promotes deeper connections with our most loyal followers.”
With her experience and deep understanding of online communities, she is well-positioned to take the Daily Dot’s broad awareness to the next level and build on the foundation the site already enjoys as the premier destination for internet culture news.“I believe that Whitney is the person to lead the Daily Dot to that level of awareness and community,” said White. “This is a tall order, but she has the experience, creativity, domain knowledge, and enthusiasm to garner the Daily Dot the full measure of cultural significance that it deserves.”
