The SF Standard’s Editor-in-Chief is Stepping Down
Julie Makinen, the editor-in-chief of the San Francisco Standard is leaving the paper effective April 12th.
Makinen wrote on her twitter/X @Julie_Makinen, April 1st:
“Some personal news: I’m stepping down from the @sfstandard, effective April 12, to devote time to my family, including my mom who is in hospice. I am so proud of this newsroom and all we have built. For now, it’s time to be daughter-in-chief instead of editor-in-chief.”
She followed up with a tweet stating:
“I’m leaving this team in good hands with @jonsteinberg31 and @jeffbercovici and will be cheering them on.”
Julie Makinen joined the Standard in March last year after a long career as an editor, most recently heading the Desert Sun in southern California and the Los Angeles Times’ Beijing bureau, she also worked for the Intl. N.Y. Times and The Washington Post.
In an all-staff email sent Friday afternoon, CEO Griffin Gaffney wrote he had some “tough news to share” with the newsroom, and that Makinen’s final day would be April 12. Gaffney wrote that Makinen needed to “spend more time with family at this difficult moment with her parents.”
“From leading the charge on our world-class reporting of news events like the Bob Lee murder in her first month here to building out our express desk, she has unquestionably up-leveled our organizational rigor and professionalism across the board,” Gaffney wrote. “We are better off because of her.”
The Standard’s executive and managing editors Jon Steinberg and Jeff Bercovici are expected to be taking the helm in the short term.
Steinberg formerly worked at the technology outlet The Information and as an editor for San Francisco Magazine, while Bercovici was formerly with the Los Angeles Times as a business editor.
Local Journalism for Working stiffs
We write for the poets, busboys, and bartenders. We cover workers, not ‘tech’, not the shiny ‘forbes 100 bullshit’. We write about the business on your corner and the beer in your hand. Join the Bay's best newsletter.
The San Francisco Standard, formerly known as Here/Say Media, originated as a project under the wing of Civic Action Labs, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. Co-founded by Gaffney and Kanishka Cheng, Here/Say Media and another initiative called TogetherSF were both part of this nonprofit endeavor. Cheng remains at the helm of TogetherSF, which receives significant funding from billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital.
Initially raising concerns for its decision not to disclose its donors, Here/Say Media diverged from the norm of most media nonprofits, which typically operate as 501(c)(3)s and are required to reveal their donors to the IRS. In 2021, Here/Say Media rebranded itself as the San Francisco Standard, transitioning into a for-profit entity. Despite this shift, it continues to receive substantial backing from Moritz, a prominent figure who has contributed over $300 million towards various initiatives in San Francisco, including endeavors aimed at influencing political landscapes.
There are excellent journalists working at The SF Standard, we hope they will be allowed to continue doing good work under whoever takes the helm permanently!
Howdy! My name is Katy Atchison and I'm an Associate Editor for Broke-Ass Stuart.
I want to take the time to say thank you for supporting independent news media by reading BrokeAssstuart.com. Supporting independent news sources like Broke-Ass Stuart is vital to supporting our community because it amplifies the voices of a wide variety of diverse opinions. You also help support small businesses and local artists by sharing stories from Broke-Ass Stuart.
Because you're one of our supporters, I wanted to send over a pro-tip.
Our bi-weekly newsletter is a great way to get round ups of Broke-Ass Stuart stories, learn about new businesses in The Bay Area, find out about fun local events and be first in line for giveaways.
If you’d like to get our newsletter, signup right here, it takes 5 seconds.
