Dan Wakeford

Last updated

Dan Wakeford (born March 3, 1975) is an American Journalist. He is the former editor-in-chief of The Messenger, People Magazine and editorial director of Entertainment Weekly from 2019 to 2022. Prior, he was editor-in-chief of In Touch Weekly and Life & Style Weekly .

Contents

Early life and education

Wakeford grew up in a small village in Hampshire, UK with his twin brother and younger brother. He graduated from Leicester University in 1996 with a B.A. in American Studies.

News career

Wakeford started his career in journalism working at News UK and then onto become News Editor of Heat magazine. [1] In 2002 he moved to America where he worked at In Touch Weekly and Life & Style Weekly eventually becoming the Editor-in-chief of both titles. [2] Wakeford's stories and opinions are often quoted in other news magazines. [3]

In 2013, Wakeford was called upon to defend his magazine company in court after Tom Cruise accused the owners of the company of racism. [4] [5]

In 2015, Wakeford became a deputy editor at People magazine. In 2019, he was promoted to editor in chief. [6] At People Wakeford created and executive produced the crime documentary series People Magazine Investigates on ID [7] and Discovery+ and two prime time four-hour documentaries on the royals for ABC. The Story Of Diana and The Story Of The Royals. [8] Dan regularly appeared on camera for People Magazine Investigates and many other television shows including Dateline, [9] the Today Show, [10] GMA, [11] the Kelly Clarkson Show, [12] the Drew Barrymore Show [13] and CNN. [14]

During his tenure at People he pushed the brand into podcasts, video and new social platforms and grew the digital footprint to 76 million unique visitors and the whole brand footprint to 88 million consumers a month. [15]

Wakeford broke exclusive news stories during his time at People, including interviews with Linda Evangelista about her cosmetic procedure lawsuit, [16] Vanessa Bryant in her only interview after death of her husband Kobe and daughter Gigi, [17] and the world exclusive first look at Friends reunion. [18] He oversaw interviews with notable figures, including Prince William on his Earth Shot initiative, [19] President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s first interview post-inauguration [20] and George Clooney on his humanitarian work. [21]

During his time at People Magazine, Wakeford launched programs to encourage COVID vaccinations, [22] and celebrate Companies That Care. [23] He instituted the brand’s first-ever issue on LGBTQ+ Pride. [24] Under his stewardship, People Magazine won the 2021 Folio Eddie and Ozzie Award for the best Consumer, Lifestyle magazine issue, [25] the 2021 GLAADD Award for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage, [26] and Adweek's 2020 Hot List, celebrating the best in TV, Publishing, Digital and Brands, [27] and the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services 2020 Erasing The Stigma Award for the mental health initiative Let’s Talk About It. [28]

He was editor-in-chief of The Messenger, which opened in May 2023 and folded in January 2024. [29] [30]

Personal life

In May 2018, Wakeford married actor Lucas Baker.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<i>Time</i> (magazine) American news magazine and website

Time is an American news magazine based in New York City. It was published weekly for nearly a century. Starting in March 2020, it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on March 3, 1923, and for many years it was run by its influential co-founder, Henry Luce.

Dotdash Meredith is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and education. It operates brands including Verywell, Investopedia, People, The Balance, Byrdie, MyDomaine, Brides, The Spruce, Simply Recipes, Serious Eats, Liquor.com, Lifewire, TripSavvy, TreeHugger, and ThoughtCo. In August 2012, About.com became a property of IAC, owner of Ask.com and numerous other online brands, and its revenue is generated by advertising. In addition to its Manhattan headquarters, Dotdash Meredith maintains offices elsewhere in the New York metropolitan area, as well as in Des Moines, Iowa, and Birmingham, Alabama.

<i>Sports Illustrated</i> American sports magazine

Sports Illustrated (SI) is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. It is also known for its annual swimsuit issue, which has been published since 1964, and has spawned other complementary media works and products.

<i>NME</i> British music journalism website and former magazine

New Musical Express (NME) is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a free publication, before becoming an online brand which includes its website and radio stations.

<i>People</i> (magazine) American weekly magazine

People is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, People had the largest audience of any American magazine, but it fell to second place in 2018 after its readership significantly declined to 35.9 million. People had $997 million in advertising revenue in 2011, the highest advertising revenue of any American magazine. In 2006, it had a circulation of 3.75 million and revenue expected to top $1.5 billion. It was named "Magazine of the Year" by Advertising Age in October 2005, for excellence in editorial, circulation, and advertising. People ranked number 6 on Advertising Age's annual "A-list" and number 3 on Adweek's "Brand Blazers" list in October 2006.

<i>Entertainment Weekly</i> American digital magazine

Entertainment Weekly is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular culture. The magazine debuted on February 16, 1990, in New York City, and ceased print publication in 2022.

<i>The Advocate</i> (magazine) Bi-monthly American magazine covering LGBT-interest topics

The Advocate is an American LGBT magazine, printed bi-monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a website. Both magazine and website have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people. The magazine, established in 1967, is the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the United States and the only surviving one of its kind that was founded before the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, an uprising that was a major milestone in the LGBT rights movement. On June 9, 2022, Pride Media was acquired by Equal Entertainment LLC known as equalpride putting The Advocate back under gay ownership.

<i>Soap Opera Digest</i> Weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas

Soap Opera Digest was a weekly magazine covering American daytime soap operas. It featured onscreen and offscreen news about the series, interviews with and articles about performers, storyline summaries and analysis, and related promotional information. Founded in 1975, the magazine historically included certain prime time soap operas in its coverage as well.

<i>Fangoria</i> American horror film fan magazine

Fangoria is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Wallace</span> American journalist

Christopher Wallace is an American broadcast journalist. He is known for his tough and wide-ranging interviews, for which he is often compared to his father, 60 Minutes journalist Mike Wallace. Over his 50-year career in journalism he has been a correspondent, moderator, or anchor on CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and now CNN. In 2018 he was ranked one of America's most trusted TV news anchors. Wallace has won three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a George Polk Award, the duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award, and a Paul White lifetime achievement award.

Meredith Corporation was an American media conglomerate based in Des Moines, Iowa, that owned magazines, television stations, websites, and radio stations. Its publications had a readership of more than 120 million and paid circulation of more than 40 million, and its websites had nearly 135 million monthly unique visitors. Its broadcast television stations reached 11% of U.S. households.

<i>Grist</i> (magazine) Magazine

Grist is an American non-profit online magazine founded in 1999 that publishes environmental news and commentary. Grist's tagline is "Climate. Justice. Solutions." Grist is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and has about 50 writers and employees. Its CEO is former editor-in-chief Nikhil Swaminathan.

Daniel Tynan is an American journalist, television and radio commentator who specializes in technology, humor, and humorous takes on technology. Former editor in chief of Yahoo Tech, he has also served as an Executive Editor and later contributing editor for PC World, InfoWorld.com, Family Circle and other publications that have gone on to the great magazine Valhalla in the sky.

<i>InStyle</i> Womens fashion magazine

InStyle is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of People before carving out its own identity. In February 2022, it was announced that InStyle would cease print publications and move to a digital-only format.

Time Inc. was an American worldwide mass media corporation founded on November 28, 1922, by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden and based in New York City. It owned and published over 100 magazine brands, including its namesake Time, Sports Illustrated, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, Fortune, People, InStyle, Life, Golf Magazine, Southern Living, Essence, Real Simple, and Entertainment Weekly. It also had subsidiaries which it co-operated with the UK magazine house Time Inc. UK, whose major titles include What's on TV, NME, Country Life, and Wallpaper. Time Inc. also co-operated over 60 websites and digital-only titles including MyRecipes, Extra Crispy, TheSnug, HelloGiggles, and MIMI.

<i>Health</i> (magazine)

Health was an American magazine focused on women's health and owned by Dotdash Meredith. The magazine's topics range from improper diet to dealing with life issues such as weak relationships and growing stress. Additionally, this website offers latest fashion and exclusive beauty tips, various healthy food recipes, and related articles that can encourage people to be happy and healthy. Since 1999, Health has published its annual beauty awards, highlighting top products in health categories like skincare. It occasionally features cover stories on celebrities such as Marcia Cross and Elisabeth Röhm and tips from Bethenny Frankel, a celebrity chef.

<i>Portland Monthly</i> Magazine published in Portland, US

Portland Monthly is a monthly news and general interest magazine which covers food, politics, business, design, events and culture in Portland, Oregon. The magazine was co-founded in 2003 by siblings Nicole and Scott Vogel. Nicole had previously worked for Cendant Corporation and Time Warner, and Scott had been a journalist at The New York Times. Though the magazine had some trouble with funding in its first year, it grew to a stable circulation of 56,000 and by 2006 was the seventh-largest city magazine in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Enninful</span> Ghanaian-born English editor and stylist (born 1972)

Edward Kobina Enninful is a Ghanaian-born British editor and stylist who was the editor-in-chief of British Vogue and the European editorial director of Condé Nast. He was appointed fashion director of the British fashion magazine i-D at the age of 18, a position he held for more than two decades. He subsequently held the positions of contributing fashion editor at Vogue Italia and American Vogue, as well as creative fashion director at W magazine. Enninful was appointed editor-in-chief of British Vogue in 2017 but stepped down after a short tenure in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Life</span> American digital media brand

Hollywood Life is an American digital media brand launched in 2009 by magazine editor Bonnie Fuller. The site covers celebrity, fashion, beauty, women issues, and entertainment news. It also airs award shows and other pop culture events.

John Huey is an American journalist and publishing executive who served as the editor-in-chief of Time Inc., at the time the largest magazine publisher in the United States, overseeing more than 150 titles, including Time, People, Fortune, Sports Illustrated, Entertainment Weekly and InStyle. He previously served as the editor of Fortune, Atlanta bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal and founding managing editor, and later editor, of The Wall Street Journal Europe. He co-authored the best-selling autobiography of Walmart founder Sam Walton.

References

  1. ↑ "In Touch and Life & Style Bid Adieu To Dan Wakeford, Bring On David Perel". Daily Front Row. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "In Touch and Life & Style Bid Adieu To Dan Wakeford, Bring On David Perel". Daily Front Row. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  3. ↑ "Stars keep headline writers busy". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  4. ↑ "Shocker! Tom Cruise's Racially Charged Libel Lawsuit Compares Jewish & Gay Journalists To Cotton-Picking Slaves". RadarOnline. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Tom Cruise's lawyers compare Jewish and gay journalists to cotton-picking slaves". DNA India. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Gardner, Chris (14 March 2019). "Dan Wakeford Replaces Jess Cagle as People Magazine Editor-in-Chief". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "Breaking News - ID and People Launch a New Season of Riveting Mysteries in the Hit Series "People Magazine Investigates" | TheFutonCritic.com". www.thefutoncritic.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "'The Story of The Royals,' A Two-Night Television Event From People and Four M Studios, Debuts On ABC, Wednesday, Aug. 22, And Thursday, Aug. 23". Meredith Corporation MediaRoom. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  9. ↑ "'Dateline' examines murder of Maurizio Gucci". WWLP. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  10. ↑ "Royal wedding countdown: 2 experts reveal the latest details". today.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  11. ↑ People magazine reveals its 2019 People of the Year l GMA , retrieved 27 June 2022
  12. ↑ "Patricia Heaton, Dan Wakeford, Stephanie Bowman, Kelly Clarkson". Getty Images. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  13. ↑ Drew and People's Dan Wakeford Are Over the Term "Girlboss" Like Shonda Rhimes | Drew's News , retrieved 27 June 2022
  14. ↑ Garvey, Marianne (14 November 2019). "Inside the 'Sexiest Man Alive' selection". CNN. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  15. ↑ Turvill, William (8 July 2021). "People magazine editor Dan Wakeford: Instagram is our biggest competitor". Press Gazette. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  16. ↑ Sheeler, Jason (16 February 2022). "Linda Evangelista Shares First Photos of Her Body Since Fat-Freezing Nightmare: 'I'm Done Hiding'". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  17. ↑ Wakeford, Dan (3 March 2021). "Introducing People's Women Changing the World in 2021". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  18. ↑ "'Friends' cast poses for new People cover, shares 1st details from reunion show". today.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  19. ↑ Perry, Simon (20 October 2021). "Prince William to People: 'There Is Reason to Be Hopeful' About Protecting the Planet". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  20. ↑ Sobieraj Westfall, Sandra (3 February 2021). "In First White House Interview, Joe & Jill Biden Talk Marriage, Family, Prayer — and the Challenges Ahead". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  21. ↑ Leonard, Elizabeth (2 December 2020). "George Clooney Opens Up About Family, Giving Back and His Faith in America's Future: 'You Can't Give Up'". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  22. ↑ Wakeford, Dan. "Editor's Letter: Why I'm Getting Vaccinated". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  23. ↑ "People Companies that Care® 2021". Great Place to Work®. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ↑ Wakeford, Dan (10 June 2020). "Why Anderson Cooper Is Co-Parenting with His Ex: 'I Would Want Wyatt to Be Surrounded by Love'". people.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  25. ↑ "2021 Eddie and Ozzie Awards". Eddie & Ozzie Awards. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  26. ↑ Yang, Rachel (8 April 2021). "Watch Niecy Nash host GLAAD Media Awards, plus see the full winners list". EW.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "Meredith Corporation's People, Allrecipes And InStyle Named Winners Of Adweek's 2020 Hot List". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  28. ↑ "Mental Health Heroes – Erasing the Stigma Campaign" . Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  29. ↑ Wakeford, Dan (15 May 2023). "Welcome To The Messenger". The Messenger. Archived from the original on 15 May 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  30. ↑ Baragona, Justin (31 January 2024). "The Messenger Didn't Bother to Tell Staff Before Flaming Out". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.