Fortune editor Leaf talks about its change to digital and daily conversations

Fortune editor in chief Clifton Leaf talked about the changes made at the business magazine under its new owner, Thai blockchain billionaire Chatchaval Jiaravanon, with Paul Blanchard on the “Media Masters” podcast.

Leaf noted that Fortune pivoted its events business to hold virtual events, and that the magazine had its best digital year ever.

“It is where our focus is,” said Leaf. “We want to have stories that are meaningful and with the same deep dive sensibility that we’ve had in the print magazine for 90 years, but we really want to focus on digital as a medium and as a platform to get those stories out faster.”

He noted that there are opportunities in storytelling, exploring working from home during the pandemic. “That is a fascinating exploration of where people are and how they are collaborating,” he said.

Leaf, who became editor in chief in 2017, called the print product “fundamental,” but noted that it’s only publishing six issues in 2021, down from 10 in 2020.

“Digital really opened up a new avenue for us in terms of having daily conversations with our readers,” he said, noting that Fortune has 16 email newsletters.

“Fundamentally, we are a storytelling magazine and a storytelling brand,” said Leaf.