Gabriel Snyder is stepping down from his role as editor-in-chief of the New Republic, only 17 months after starting.
Snyder joined the magazine as it was in the midst of internal turmoil when he replaced Franklin Foer during a mass exodus back in 2014. Snyder announced that he’s leaving in June via a memo to his staff, according to CNN.
“Though I’m sad to depart, I am immensely proud of our accomplishments over the last 17 months,” Snyder said.
Win McCormack, the founder and editor-in-chief of Tin House quarterly, purchased the magazine from Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes in February. Hamilton Fish is now serving as the magazine’s publisher and editorial director, and will search for a new editor-in-chief.
The Hughes-led New Republic era was a debacle. The magazine, that used to bill itself as the “in-flight magazine of Air Force One,” saw significant changes from the time he purchased it in 2012 until McCormack took over.
Hughes wanted to turn New Republic into a more digitally focused media operation. This decision led to mass staff resignations, including Foer and venerable essayist Leon Wieseltier. Hughes also cut the number of issues to 10 per year from 20, and now operates out of New York City.
Prominent writers and editors such as Suzy Khimm, Jamil Smith and Elizabeth Stoker Brunei left the magazine when Hughes announced it was for sale. Snyder is the latest big-name departure, but the first under the magazine’s new ownership.