Ryan Grim is leaving HuffPost – Poynter

HuffPost’s longtime D.C. Bureau Chief Ryan Grim is leaving the company, HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Lydia Polgreen announced in a memo Friday.

“I will miss his wise counsel, his passion and his fine mind, and I know you all will too,” Polgreen said. “I will be hosting a farewell bash for Ryan in DC on Tuesday evening — stay tuned for details. I will also be holding a town hall with the DC staff next week.”

Although Polgreen didn’t say where Grim is headed, Politico’s Hadas Gold reports he will be The Intercept’s D.C. bureau chief.

Grim will be Wash Bureau Chief of @theintercept https://t.co/1LjDjnu0Tz

— Hadas Gold (@Hadas_Gold) May 5, 2017

Grim, who was a reporter at Politico before joining HuffPost, was reportedly under consideration for HuffPost’s top editorial job after Arianna Huffington left the company last year.

Grim was celebrated on Twitter by his colleagues Friday as news of his departure broke.

Indulge me a few words about @ryangrim who, it was announced, is leaving as bureau chief of HuffPost DC

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim There are few people in political journalism who have Ryan’s disposition. He is preternaturally calm, kind, and friendly.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim He’s also an incredible mentor and colleague. I’ve co-bylined countless pieces and co-edited many more.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim A few years ago, he, @aterkel and I set out to create a newsroom that was both a place of tremendous journalism and tight knit culture.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim @aterkel Ryan, especially, wanted reporters to feel empowered, to find their own stories and to experiment and push boundaries.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim @aterkel It was a reflection of his own personality. And we all loved it. The work we’ve produced since then is some of our/my proudest.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

.@ryangrim @aterkel I don’t want to imagine the bureau without him. So I won’t. Until he officially leaves. But needless to say, I’ll be sad.

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) May 5, 2017

Hard to overstate @ryangrim‘s effect on HuffPost in building up and leading DC operation. Will be missed. https://t.co/ZJtVApcMTG

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) May 5, 2017

Stein who has been overseeing HuffPost’s politics report for the last few months, will continue in that capacity, Polgreen wrote.

Grim did not respond to emails or a call seeking comment.

Here’s Polgreen’s full memo:

HuffPosters,

It is with mixed emotions that I let you all know that our mighty colleague Ryan Grim is leaving HuffPost for his next adventure.

It’s pretty much impossible to overstate Ryan’s contributions to the journalism and culture of HuffPost. He’s been with us since January 2009 and has become one of the most authoritative voices in Washington on a wide range of topics, but his speciality has always been giving voice to the voiceless and taking on powerful institutions trying to screw over the most vulnerable among us.

Since he became Washington bureau chief in 2010, reporters there have twice been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, with Dave Wood winning in 2012 for his deep look at life for wounded soldiers after war. He championed, edited and contributed reporting to Jason Cherkis’ masterful piece about treatment for opiate addiction that was a Pulitzer finalist last year.

The jail project, a collaboration that included nearly everyone in the bureau, and led by Dana Liebelson and Ryan Reilly, changed policy in jailhouses around the country. Ryan, along with Arthur Delaney, won the December 2010 Sidney Hillman Award for “The Poorhouse.” His article with Zach Carter on lobbying over swipe fees was included in the 2012 Columbia Journalism Review’s Best Business Writing anthology.

He is the author of the book This Is Your Country on Drugs, an ahead-of-the-curve look at the history, politics and policy of drug use in America. He built the team that made HuffPost the number one voice in politics on the internet. In his spare time, he continued to write and in 2016, he was our highest-trafficked politics reporter. He has nurtured the careers of many young reporters in the bureau, building a generation of political reporting talent.

I will miss his wise counsel, his passion and his fine mind, and I know you all will too. I will be hosting a farewell bash for Ryan in DC on Tuesday evening – stay tuned for details. I will also be holding a town hall with the DC staff next week.

Ryan will have more to say about his next move very soon. His last day will be May 12.

Sam Stein, who has been ably overseeing the politics report over the last couple of months, will continue to manage the bureau.

Lydia

(via Poynter)