The paper's longtime technology columnist is the latest to part ways with a venerable paper, here moving to Marissa Mayer's shop to write columns and make videos for expanded Yahoo tech coverage. October 21, 2013 9:16 AM PDT David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist moving to Yahoo, at a panel discussion during the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association confab. (Credit: Getty Images) David Pogue, the tech columnist popularly known for his goofy video demeanor over 13 years at the New York Times, is leaving the venerable paper to lead expanded consumer tech coverage at Yahoo, Chief Executive Marissa Mayer and Pogue himself announced in separate blog posts Monday. Pogue is the latest of several high-profile figures at top news publications striking out, and not the first to do so thanks to a Silicon Valley benefactor. Last week, the Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who lead its coverage of government online surveillance linked to leaks from Edward Snowden, announced he was leaving the paper to new venture backed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Mayer said Pogue will publish columns, blogs and videos that "demystify the gadgets, apps and technology that powers our users' daily lives." Pogue said his ambitions go beyond just those kinds of posts but didn't give details. "My team and I have much bigger plans, too, for all kinds of online and real-world creations," he said. He also returned compliments to Mayer by calling the company "young, revitalized, aggressive" and "razor-focused" under her leadership. Related stories Yahoo Mail users diss the new Gmail-like look Yahoo's CEO asks for another pass in Q3 Yahoo revenue down in Q3, but beats Wall Street expectations Yahoo Mail finally turns on SSL Gates, Zuck, Dorsey chip in to teach 10M students coding About his reasons for leaving the Times, Pogue said it wasn't easy to depart but "13 years is a long time to stay in one place." He said he was attracted by the opportunity to build something new at Yahoo. He starts there in "a few weeks," according to his blog post. In addition to Greenwald and Pogue, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, the co-executive editors of the AllThingsD Web site, are courting other media outlets as well as financial investors, but are also parting from Wall Street Journal owner Dow Jones once their current contract lapses at the end of the year. They follow fellow Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Lessin, who is creating a technology news publication with other WSJ writers she's recruited, currently operating off her personal Wordpress page. Pogue's move also fits mold cast recently by one of his former New York Times colleagues. Columnist Nate Silver known for data-based predictions of national elections with his FiveThirtyEight posts for the Times, Silver, who recently cut ties with the Times to move to ESPN. The defections by the likes of Silver, Mossberg and Pogue from the nation's top newspapers underscore the potential for journalists who carve out a popular brand in a particular niche of the news world, an industry that has struggled as readers and advertisers migrate away from print. Pogue said his new post wouldn't stop his NOVA specials on PBS, "CBS Sunday Morning" stories, Missing Manual books, or column in "Scientific American."
The paper's longtime technology columnist is the latest to part ways with a venerable paper, here moving to Marissa Mayer's shop to write columns and make videos for expanded Yahoo tech coverage.
David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist moving to Yahoo, at a panel discussion during the 2013 Summer Television Critics Association confab.
(Credit: Getty Images)
David Pogue, the tech columnist popularly known for his goofy video demeanor over 13 years at the New York Times, is leaving the venerable paper to lead expanded consumer tech coverage at Yahoo, Chief Executive Marissa Mayer and Pogue himself announced in separate blog posts Monday.
Pogue is the latest of several high-profile figures at top news publications striking out, and not the first to do so thanks to a Silicon Valley benefactor. Last week, the Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who lead its coverage of government online surveillance linked to leaks from Edward Snowden, announced he was leaving the paper to new venture backed by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.
Mayer said Pogue will publish columns, blogs and videos that "demystify the gadgets, apps and technology that powers our users' daily lives."
Pogue said his ambitions go beyond just those kinds of posts but didn't give details. "My team and I have much bigger plans, too, for all kinds of online and real-world creations," he said. He also returned compliments to Mayer by calling the company "young, revitalized, aggressive" and "razor-focused" under her leadership.
Related stories
- Yahoo Mail users diss the new Gmail-like look
- Yahoo's CEO asks for another pass in Q3
- Yahoo revenue down in Q3, but beats Wall Street expectations
- Yahoo Mail finally turns on SSL
- Gates, Zuck, Dorsey chip in to teach 10M students coding
About his reasons for leaving the Times, Pogue said it wasn't easy to depart but "13 years is a long time to stay in one place." He said he was attracted by the opportunity to build something new at Yahoo. He starts there in "a few weeks," according to his blog post.
In addition to Greenwald and Pogue, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, the co-executive editors of the AllThingsD Web site, are courting other media outlets as well as financial investors, but are also parting from Wall Street Journal owner Dow Jones once their current contract lapses at the end of the year. They follow fellow Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Lessin, who is creating a technology news publication with other WSJ writers she's recruited, currently operating off her personal Wordpress page.
Pogue's move also fits mold cast recently by one of his former New York Times colleagues. Columnist Nate Silver known for data-based predictions of national elections with his FiveThirtyEight posts for the Times, Silver, who recently cut ties with the Times to move to ESPN. The defections by the likes of Silver, Mossberg and Pogue from the nation's top newspapers underscore the potential for journalists who carve out a popular brand in a particular niche of the news world, an industry that has struggled as readers and advertisers migrate away from print.
Pogue said his new post wouldn't stop his NOVA specials on PBS, "CBS Sunday Morning" stories, Missing Manual books, or column in "Scientific American."
