Hollywood Reporter editor joins digital media startup

Matthew Belloni

Former Hollywood Reporter editorial director Matthew Belloni has joined a venture capital-backed digital media startup as a founding partner.

Alex Weprin of The Reporter reports, “The still-unnamed digital media startup is co-founded by former Vanity Fair editor Jon Kelly, Vox Media and Luminary veteran Joe Purzycki, The Athletic alum Max Tcheya, and Conde Nast veteran Liz Gough, and counts TPG and 40 North Media among its investors. It has raised $7 million so far in Series A financing.

“The startup plans to focus its editorial coverage on the nexus of power and influence in a few key sectors: Finance, technology, politics, and entertainment. Belloni will help launch its coverage of entertainment, starting with an invite-only email newsletter. The New York Times previously reported that the startup was in talks with former Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery about a role covering politics.

“The company is currently focused on building out a subscription-based business, built around newsletters, premium content, podcasts, and events, though it also said to be pursuing some premium sponsorships.”

To read more, go here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.