Vanity Fair's new editorial director, Mark Guiducci, has outlined plans to refocus the publication on its core subjects of entertainment, celebrities, culture, money, politics and style, while scaling back news aggregation, reviews and trade coverage. In a memo to staff, Guiducci said the title would move away from its siloed vertical structure to treat each story as a Vanity Fair story.
The changes include phasing out The Hive, the business, politics and technology vertical launched in 2016, and Hollywood Daily. Guiducci wrote, “We will no longer think of something as a ‘Hive post’ or a ‘HWD post.’” The move is part of a broader strategy to modernise the title across platforms, from newsletters to TikTok.
Under the new direction, Vanity Fair is hiring 13 staff members, including three new correspondents focusing on Hollywood, Washington and style. Additional roles include a global creative director, two senior editors, producers and a new social team. The magazine is also planning a redesign for its upcoming Hollywood Issue.
Several staffers have left the publication, including chief critic Richard Lawson and Hollywood correspondents David Canfield and Anthony Breznican, according to a source familiar with the matter. Guiducci, who previously served as creative editorial director at Vogue, took over as global editorial director on June 30, succeeding Radhika Jones.
Guiducci also announced that Claire Howorth will become Deputy Editor, overseeing stories across all platforms, while Daniel Kile will take on the role of VP, Global Content Strategy, with responsibility for video, social, operations, audience development and events.
