Politico Global Editor-in-Chief John Harris told staff on Thursday that he would move into a new role as chairman at the company and begin a search for a new editor in chief.
Harris will continue in his editor-in-chief role until the company names his successor “at some point in 2026,” according to a memo obtained by TheWrap. The announcement comes days after Politico laid off 3% of its staff and offered buyouts to several newsroom divisions.
A spokesperson for Politico had no comment beyond the memo.
Harris told staff that, in his new role as chairman, he would work with Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami to answer what the “next wave of ideas to drive impact and revenue in our subscription business” was and how Politico could “continue to grow internationally and yield more value from our global footprint.”
Harris said that discussions with Sheikholeslami and Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner on his successor have made no mention of whether that person would be an internal or external candidate.
“We do know the core traits: ambition and a deep appreciation for what makes POLITICO distinct, and unquestioned professional and personal character,” he said. “When we find the best leader, we will act swiftly.”
Some internal candidates who could ascend to the top title include Alex Burns, a longtime Politico face who rose quickly through the ranks since his return to the outlet in 2022 to become the publication’s senior executive editor for North America; and Carrie Budoff Brown, a one-time top editor of the publication who returned last year to become Politico’s executive editor in Brussels.
“Helping assemble this leadership team of POLITICO veterans and talented newcomers is my proudest professional achievement,” Harris wrote. “Now that this work is almost done, I am eager to get on with the next phase of my own POLITICO leadership.”
Harris’ announcement follows a memo he sent to staff on Tuesday in announcing the layoffs and buyout packages. Several top staffers shown the door include managing editor for politics and Washington Mike Zapler and magazine columnist Michael Schaffer, according to Breaker Media, while buyouts were offered to the energy and E&E teams, Politico Magazine, the central editing desk, visuals, data and graphics and the interactive teams.
Harris, who co-founded Politico in 2007 and returned as its global editor in chief in 2023, acknowledged on Tuesday that the layoffs represented change and that “in some cases change is uncomfortable.”
“People should also recognize that in many ways these moves also represent continuity,” he wrote. “The publication has made numerous small and
large organizational changes since I became Global Editor in Chief in September 2023. In nearly every instance there has been a common logic: to enhance our productivity, and to sharpen lines of accountability that in some cases had become blurred over time as the publication grew.”
