CNNMoney launches opportunity, investigations, personal finance desks

CNNMoney executive editor Lex Haris sent out the following announcement to the staff on Wednesday:

We are excited to announce some new coverage areas and staff assignments.

We now have an Opportunity Desk.

Is the American Dream alive? What is the state of the Middle Class?

This team will be devoted to smart, big, creative takes on the most important economic issue of our time — not to mention the one that will be most talked about in the 2016 election.

Nicole Ridgway, editor

Tami Luhby

Contributors:

Jordan Malter (and not just video.)

Octavio Blanco (and not just editing.)

And an Investigations/Impact Team.

We saw what they did with the government debt collection series, and Blake Ellis and Melanie Hicken have endless ideas.

These will not all be three-month special reports, but the team has a bold mission: Distinctive investigative reporting that makes news, sparks national debate and makes change.

Nicole Ridgway, editor

Blake Ellis

Melanie Hicken

Also, a new Personal Finance Team.

CNNMoney is about helping our audience achieve their most important goals: Retirement, college, homes, taxes, spending and saving, careers. And when our audience does well, we celebrate their success!

In addition to producing ambitious specials and daily takes, this new team has an important mission: Developing a one-of-a-kind product that establishes CNNMoney as the go-to resource for helping our audience succeed. It will combine education, calculators and community. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Karen McGowan, editor

Emily Fox

Katie Lobosco

Jeanne Sahadi

Kathryn Vasel

More heft for the Innovation and Startups Team.

They’ve been fast on the news and have been rolling out a new series profiling the most exciting entrepreneurs, among other innovative projects. They’re going to keep going on this path with two new members.

Aimee Rawlins, editor

Jillian Eugenios

Steve Hargreaves

Parija Kavilanz

Heather Kelly

Sara O’Brien

Breaking News

We now have three open positions on the breaking news team. We’ve already met great candidates — some veterans, some bright young thinkers. Our goal: Get even smarter, faster and more creative in how we cover the news.

Let’s recap what these changes are about:

Covering big issues.

Real journalism that impacts people’s lives.

Helping our audience succeed.

Breaking news.

Sounds like a newsroom we can all be proud of.

The people mentioned in this note and everyone else throughout the newsroom have helped CNNMoney pick up serious momentum – let’s keep going!