FT hires BuzzFeed’s Gibson

Janine Gibson, the editor in chief of Buzzfeed UK, has been hired by the Financial Times.

She will start on May 7.

Gibson will join the editorial leadership team as an assistant editor in the newly created role of editor, special projects.

Working with FT editor Lionel Barber, incoming news editor Matt Garrahan and other members of the senior team, she will identify themes and assignments that merit deep, original reporting, both in print and online.

Barber, to whom Gibson will report, said: “I’m thrilled Janine is joining the top team at the FT.  She is a world-class journalist who will give us a fresh edge and new perspectives as we grow our worldwide readership.”

Gibson arrives at the FT with an outstanding journalistic record, both in the UK and the U.S. As Guardian U.S. editor-in-chief based in New York, she led the Snowden/National Security Agency investigation team that won a Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy while presiding over an exponential increase in readership.

During her 17-year career at the Guardian, Gibson led the transition from print to digital and pioneered other cutting-edge forms of journalism, rising to become deputy editor under Alan Rusbridger and head of the Guardian’s online operations.

In her most recent role as editor-in-chief of Buzzfeed UK, she transformed a small team into a respected news operation, winning the Society of Editors news website of the year award as well as multiple prizes for specialist news reporting.

On Monday, the FT reached the milestone of 1 million paying readers, a record high in its 131-year history.