Arianna Huffington, the media mogul whose eponymous online publication the Huffington Post changed our collective approach to consuming the news, is stepping down as the site’s editor-in-chief. She wrote in a staff memo addressed to “HuffPosters” on Thursday:
For the past 11 years, The Huffington Post has been at the center of my life, and frankly I thought it would be my last act. What we have built together has exceeded my wildest expectations. Never did I imagine when there were just five of us working out of my home office in L.A. that we’d grow HuffPost to be one of the most-visited news sites in the world with editions in (soon-to-be) 16 countries and a Pulitzer Prize-winning global leader in news and politics, solutions journalism and wellness.
Huffington founded the digital-only publication in May 2005, and its staffers have since cultivated a signature blend of reporting and aggregation. The site has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and Huffington herself has become the kind of media celebrity who is well known outside journalism circles. Going forward, she’ll be putting her energies into another venture, her “health and wellness” startup Thrive Global.
“The talent, commitment and values you all bring to everything you do here make HuffPost what it is,” Huffington wrote, “and what you do is now more important than ever. So most of all, I want to end by thanking all of you. I’m filled with gratitude and admiration for all the colleagues and friends that I’ve made over the years on this incredible adventure. You have made the last 11 years truly unforgettable, and you will always be part of my life.”