Kristin Roberts, managing editor at National Journal, will join Politico as the newsroom’s national editor, according to a memo from Politico editor Susan Glasser.
Roberts’ told National Journal staffers she would be leaving the newsroom last week after Atlantic Media Chairman David Bradley announced he was suspending publication of the magazine and focusing on digital efforts in response to the frenetic pace of Washington, D.C. political news. Several National Journal staffers recently decamped to The Atlantic, a title under the Atlantic Media umbrella.
In a statement to Poynter, National Journal spokesperson Jeff Cartwright said the new appointments at The Atlantic are unconnected to the suspension of National Journal’s magazine and have been in the works for at least a month.
The news was reported first by Politico’s Mike Allen.
In Glasser’s memo to staff, she hailed Roberts’ experience and said the former ME will play a “big role” in covering the 2016 presidential contest. Her appointment comes as Politico establishes a national network of correspondents to cover politics in several statehouses nationwide: New Jersey, Florida and California have all been identified as early destinations for expansion.
“We’re creating the job with an eye on 2016 — and well beyond — and anticipate that Kristin will play a big role in all our coverage with a particular emphasis, especially initially, on the campaign and deploying our resources across our far-flung and growing enterprise,” Glasser wrote.
There may be more National Journal alums headed elsewhere in the coming weeks. After the suspension of the magazine was announced, journalists there began emailing reporters at other news organizations seeking job opportunities, according to Politico’s Dylan Byers.
Correction: A previous version of this story said Roberts was a former managing editor at National Journal. She has not left yet.
This post has been updated to include comments from the National Journal.
