October 2004

We Have a New Editor

From the publisher

By Bruce Journey

This year, Technology Review celebrates its 105th anniversary. And this year, also, we hire a new editor in chief.

For more than a century, the magazine has been led by gifted editors. For much of our history, the magazine was content to serve a small but influential audience of MIT graduates and leaders in business, research, government, and academia. It is only in recent years that Technology Review and its related businesses have begun to reach a larger audience of almost two million print and Web readers every month.

The strategy that initiated this growth was hatched in 1998, with an editorial blueprint developed and executed by John Benditt. John's editorial vision shaped much of what Technology Review is today -- a magazine of innovation that focuses on the impact of emerging technologies. He pursued that vision in award-winning fashion and with great success. For the past two years, Bob Buderi has done the same, expanding our coverage to include a global marketplace and reach a global readership. Bob stepped down as editor in chief in June, in order to focus more on his writing, but he will continue to work at Technology Review as editor at large.

Succeeding John and Bob is a distinguished journalist: Jason Pontin. Jason was the editor of Red Herring, one of the most successful magazines of the '90s. As Red Herring's editor, he once published an issue of 628 pages, weighing more than 1.5 kilograms. He was also the founding editor of an award-winning life sciences magazine, Acumen Journal of Life Sciences. He joins us to lead our efforts in print, online, and at events and conferences.

Jason grew up in Northern California but was educated in Great Britain, at Harrow School and the University of Oxford. He has written for many international newspapers and magazines, including the Financial Times, the Economist, Wired, and the Believer, and he is a frequent on-air guest of television and radio networks including ABC News, CNN, and National Public Radio.

Much has changed since the heady days of the '90s -- and so must we. Under Jason's direction we will be presenting you with a fresh new design and format beginning with our January issue. The new MIT Technology Review will be authoritative yet engaging, credible and inviting, exciting and thoughtful, enlightening and challenging. It will be more accessible and will provide more content than ever before. We will increase the number of issues per year from 10 to 12 (without increasing the subscription price) and grow from 60 pages of editorial content to more than 70. In January, also, look for a new, more timely and comprehensive website.

Change is inevitable in our business, but our mission, at least, won't change. Technology Review and its website will continue to be the first to describe emerging technologies and explain their impact. But under Jason's leadership, you will get more for your dollar and more for your mind.