Mother Jones and Reveal Announce Several Newsroom Changes

The nonprofit investigative news outlet Mother Jones/Reveal announced several key newsroom changes, underscoring its drive to grow, innovate, and lead at a crucial moment for independent journalism.

This year, its social media followers surpassed 4 million; its magazine subscriber count reached its highest level in five years; and its Mother Jones Daily newsletter subscriber list has increased nearly 30 percent since last Election Day. In addition, earlier this year it launched More To The Story with Al Letson, an on-the-pulse weekly interview show that’s quickly building a devoted audience and expanding the reach of Reveal’s acclaimed reporting.

“I’m thrilled to be working with such a talented and diverse bunch of journalists at a moment when audiences are seeking out our unflinching reporting like never before,” said Mother Jones and Reveal Executive Editor James West. “Some news institutions are shrinking or appeasing, but we’re doubling down—staffing up, embracing fresh ideas, and building the newsroom of the future.” 

The newsroom changes include promotions for top editorial leaders, the hiring of three new full-time staff members, and this year’s cohort of five editorial fellows:

• Brett Myers, Executive Producer. After guiding Reveal’s transformative years as interim EP, Brett now officially takes the helm. A champion of ambitious, high-stakes storytelling, Brett blends rigor with an instinct for innovation. Brett has worked for the organization since 2017 and is based in Albany, California.
  
• Taki Telonidis, Deputy Executive Producer. Taki’s precision and empathy as a storyteller have anchored Reveal through change and growth. He brings a rare mix of creative vision and leadership, and after stints as interim co-executive producer, and senior supervising editor, he will help Brett steer the ship as deputy EP. He has been at CIR since 2016, and is based in Salt Lake City.
  
• Anna Yeo, Digital Producer. With a background bridging documentary and science journalism, Anna brings a blend of technical expertise and a filmmaker’s visual sensibility. During her run at STAT, she produced award-winning videos on complex health topics in their high-paced video operation. She previously produced and hosted for Dynamo, a new business-focused outlet. She started August 18 and is based in New York City.

• Schuyler Mitchell, Assistant Editor. At The Intercept, Schuyler was a versatile newsroom asset—bringing hustle to everything from fact-checking and story editing to awards writing, reporting, and running their TikTok. In her new role, she’ll blend research and fact-checking with rollout and product support. She previously wrote a column for Truthout, and fact-checked stories for New York Magazine and Business Insider. She started August 18 and is based in New York City.

• Artis Curiskis, Assistant Producer. For the past year as an editorial fellow, Artis has brought technical savvy to Reveal’s radio projects, authoring breaking news, and creating fun social videos. In his new role, he will help coordinate multiplatform projects and handle research and fact-checking of audio stories to ensure they are sharp and dynamic. He started August 4 and is based in New York City.
  
• Jeffrey Kelly, Editorial Fellow. He interned at Oxford American, NBCUniversal, the Boston Globe and NPR’s Next Generation Radio Project, and held various roles at the University of Alabama newspaper The Crimson White, and Nineteen Fifty-Six Magazine. He started August 4 and is based in Philadelphia.
  
• Cheyenne McNeill, Editorial Fellow. She previously was a national affairs fellow at Salon, published stories in the Guardian and Cosmopolitan, and worked as a reporter at EducationNC in Raleigh, North Carolina. She started August 4 and is based in New York City.
  
• Anna Rogers, Editorial Fellow. She previously worked as a freelance writer, publishing stories in Slate, Scientific American, Teen Vogue, and Sierra magazine. She also served as a science writer and newsletter editor for the National Human Genome Research Institute. She started August 4 and is based in Oakland.
  
• Chasity Hale, Editorial Fellow. She previously held editorial and reporting roles at NPR Music and the San Francisco Chronicle, and is an alumna of Stanford’s graduate program in journalism. She started August 4 and is based in San Francisco.
  
• Brooke Henderson, First Amendment Fellow. She will be working on the legal team to assist with public records lawsuits, run FOIA workshops, help with legal research, and observe the prepublication review of the organization’s editorial content. She earned her law degree this past May from UC-Berkeley’s School of Law, where she served as associate editor of the California Law Review. She started Aug. 25.

Mother Jones’ editorial fellowship is supported by grants from the Helen and Will Webster Foundation, and the generosity of individual contributors. The program began in 1980 and has nurtured more than 700 young journalists, including several current staff members at Mother Jones. It is named after the late Ben Bagdikian, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, media critic, and former dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Learn more at www.motherjones.com/jobs/fellowships.