Dan Wakeford, the editor-in-chief of defunct “centrist” news site The Messenger, has landed a new job: Top editor of Us Weekly. “I am thrilled and honored to join such a trusted and iconic brand like Us Weekly,” Wakeford said in a press release announcing his hire. “I look forward to working with the talented team at Us Weekly to deliver zeitgeist defining content that engages, entertains and resonates with audiences across multiple platforms.” The press release from the entertainment mag’s parent company notably made no mention of Wakeford’s most recent gig at the doomed media startup. Instead, A360media’s announcement focused on Wakeford’s “20 years of experience in the media industry” and “proven track record of success,” including his time as editor-in-chief of People, entertainment director of Entertainment Weekly, and head editor at In Touch Weekly. It’s understandable why Wakeford may want to move on from The Messenger, as the outlet infamously burned through $50 million in less than a year before abruptly shuttering in late January. Brought on to lead a so-called “WaPo-Daily Mail hybrid,” Wakeford instead was subjected to homophobic slurs by president Richard Beckman and CEO Jimmy Finkelstein’s micromanagement. While Wakeford took heat from rank-and-file Messenger staffers over his seemingly hands-off approach, The Daily Beast reported that this was actually at the directive of Finkelstein, who ordered him to communicate only with his deputy editors.
