Quartz appoints five to help launch Quartz News show

Quartz executive editor Xana Antunes sent out the following announcement on Wednesday:

Joining Quartz Video to create Quartz News, our weekly news show running on Facebook Watch are:

Isabelle Niu joins as a video journalist. She spent the last three years at Splinter, producing, shooting, editing, and hosting breaking news stories,explainers, features, and an hour-long documentary about China’s LGBTQ movement. While in school, Isabelle launched her own YouTube channel, featuring comedy skits and interviews about the experience of Chinese international students in the US. Isabelle grew up in Shanghai, and moved to the US in high school. She speaks Mandarin Chinese. Follow her on Twitter @muge_niu and in Instagram @izzy_niu.

Jia Li joins the team as director of photography. She has directed, shot, and edited documentaries for Vice on HBO, Fusion, and CBS Originals among other outlets, covering technology, politics, and identity issues. Jia spent seven years working in China, directing both editorial and advertising projects. Before journalism, Jia worked as a designer. Born in China, Jia moved to South Carolina at age 6. She speaks Mandarin Chinese. Follow her on Instagram @oversaturate.

Marcie LaCerte joins as an animator. Previously, she interned at NPR, where she contributed animations, motion graphics, and illustrations to stories about housing segregation, foraging, and science. She has also freelanced for School of Life and Vox. Marcie graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design with an BFA in animation. She speaks Mandarin Chinese. Follow her on Twitter @marslizarb and on Instagram @marslizard.

Preeti Varathan joins the video team as a video journalist, focused on reporting stories for the new show. As a Quartz fellow, Preeti impressed us all with her intellectual curiosity and eagerness to take on new things, like this story on gold, and this feature on Janet Yellen’s dismissal.

Molly Rubin, formerly special projects researcher at Quartz, joins the video team as a video journalist, focused on production. She will be marrying her research chops, her organizational superpowers, and her indomitable spirit of generosity to her ambition to learn the dark arts of video production. Our upcoming Quartz News show will undoubtedly be better off as a result.