Mitchell returns to LA Times biz desk to cover intersection of tech and auto

Russ Mitchell, who was the technology editor of the Los Angeles Times before taking a buyout at the beginning of the year, is returning to the paper to cover the intersection of auto and technology, a new beat on its business desk.

Here is business editor Kimi Yoshino’s announcement:

I’m thrilled to announce that Russ Mitchell is re-joining the Business staff of the Los Angeles Times to cover automobiles, the future of mobility and the strengthening relationship between Silicon Valley and the auto industry.

Russ was our tech editor before leaving in January for a brief stint as a managing editor at California Healthline, an arm of Kaiser Health News. But it didn’t take long for him to miss the L.A. Times and the camaraderie of the Business section.

“I’m psyched to be returning to the L.A. Times,” Mitchell said. “The Times remains committed to high-quality journalism, and I want to be a part of that. The new beat is exciting, and crucial to the future of California.”

Russ is uniquely qualified for this important beat. His experience includes a stint in Detroit covering autos for Business Week and a lengthy career as a technology writer. He headed up the magazine’s Silicon Valley bureau, spent a year as a technology journalism fellow at MIT and later became managing editor at Wired magazine. He has also covered the first Gulf War, interviewed Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, and worked as a newspaper editor on a cruise ship.

In his new role, Russ will work closely with auto reviewer Charles Fleming as well as the tech team to cover topics including Tesla, Faraday, self-driving vehicles and connected cars. He’ll be based in the Bay Area and will report to assistant business editor Andrea Chang when he starts June 13.