Washington Post hires Albergotti to cover consumer electronics

Washington Post business editor David Cho, deputy business editor Zachary Goldfarb and technology editor Christina Passariello sent out the following announcement on Wednesday afternoon:

We are thrilled to announce that Reed Albergotti will be The Washington Post’s new consumer electronics reporter, covering Apple and other hardware manufacturers.

As a new member of our technology team in San Francisco, Reed will report on the devices that have become ubiquitous in our lives and the workers whose fates depend on how and where they are manufactured.

Reed spent the last four years at The Information, where he wrote deeply reported stories on technology companies big and small, from the secretive and well-funded startup Magic Leap to “smart home” device maker Nest. His coverage of sexual harassment in venture capital rocked the tech industry and led to new legislation in California that protects entrepreneurs from harassment by investors. His article on inappropriate relationships at the top ranks of Google eventually led the company’s employees around the world to walk out in protest. Before joining The Information, Reed spent 12 years at The Wall Street Journal, covering beats that ranged from sports to white-collar crime.

In 2010, he uncovered emails that detailed doping on Lance Armstrong’s cycling team. His subsequent award-winning coverage in The Journal led to a bestselling book, “Wheelmen: Lance Armstrong, The Tour de France and the Greatest Sports Conspiracy Ever,” which he co-authored with Vanessa O’Connell.

He was also a prolific producer of online videos for The Journal, creating the long-running series “The Olympics: How Hard Can It Be?” in which he happily embarrassed himself by trying Olympic events alongside actual Olympic athletes.

Reed, a Minnesota native who grew up in Southern California, played ice hockey for San Diego State University while earning a degree in journalism. He also won an award from the California Intercollegiate Press Association for best humor writing.

Reed lives in Marin County, just north of San Francisco, with his wife and two young children.

Reed will start March 11. He will be in the newsroom that week, so please stop by and welcome him.