PhillyVoice, the news startup that has lately been scooping up digital talent from the Philadelphia area, announced Thursday Frank Burgos will be its managing editor.
Burgos, who was previously editorial page editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, will oversee the news report at PhillyVoice, “including breaking news, investigative projects, the news desk, home page, business and health,” according to a release announcing his hire.
The release (below) also mentions four other appointments:
- Sharon Margolis will be an entertainment and lifestyle reporter/Web producer. She was an audio archivist at PennSound.
- Aubrey Nagle will be an event listings producer. She has worked at Philadelphia Magazine, Marie Claire, and Seventeen.
- Franklin McNeil will be a copy editor. He was a senior editor for SportsWorldNews.com.
- Thom Carroll is a photographer and photo editor. He is a photography instructor for Moore College of Art & Design.
Thursday’s announcement comes about a month after Philadelphia Magazine reported that PhillyVoice hired three former Philly.com executive producers: Robert McGovern, Leah Kauffman and Matt Romanoski.
The site, which remains unlaunched, bills itself as “Your essential source for news, sports and culture”. PhillyVoice managing director Lexie Norcross was previously vice president of digital operations at Philly.com. She left the company after her father, George Norcross, sold his stake in Philly.com parent company Interstate General Media following a legal battle.
Here’s the release:
PHILADELPHIA (December 4) – PhillyVoice.com, a new and innovative digital media publisher in the Philadelphia region, announced today five editorial appointments to the website. Frank Burgos, an award-winning news leader and Pulitzer Prize finalist, who previously served as News Editor of the Burlington County Times and Editor of the Daily News’ editorial page, will join the new site as Managing Editor. Sharon Margolis will become the Entertainment & Lifestyle Reporter/Web Producer; Aubrey Nagle will serve as the Event Listings Producer; Franklin McNeil is a new Copy Editor; and Thom Carroll will become Photographer/Photo Editor. These appointments join a dozen other staffers currently working at the new website.
“We are delighted to announce the addition of five accomplished professionals to PhillyVoice.com’s editorial staff,” said Lexie Norcross, Managing Director, PhillyVoice.com. “Their broad experience and deep knowledge about how a new media site can, and should, work will tremendously benefit our online audience.”
Frank Burgos brings more than 15 years of experience in new media and journalism to PhillyVoice.com. As Managing Editor, Burgos will report directly to the Executive Editor of News, sharing oversight of the website’s news content, including breaking news, investigative projects, the news desk, home page, business and health.
“It is a huge honor to have a veteran journalist and leader like Frank Burgos on the PhillyVoice team managing our newsroom,” said Bob McGovern, the website’s Executive Editor. “Frank’s a pro at developing news and information that is relevant and useful to readers in Philadelphia and South Jersey.”
Since 2011, Burgos served as News Editor at Burlington County Times, leading the entire news staff in Southern New Jersey and managing news operations. From 2006 to 2010, Burgos served as Managing Editor for New Jersey’s second largest newspaper, The Record, as well as its website, NorthJersey.com. Burgos played a critical role in the launch of The Record’s website and increased its online readership from 200,000 to more than 1 million unique visitors a month. Burgos was Editorial Page Editor /New Media Editor for the Philadelphia Daily News from 1996 to 2006. Burgos represented the Daily News in public forums, and was named a Pulitzer finalist for his work on an investigative series on government neglect of city parks. Burgos also served as Senior Writer and Editor from 1994 to 1996 for one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the country, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
“I am excited to join this innovative new media venture as it assembles a digital newsroom that will provide Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey with a unique and dependable source for the latest news and information,” said Burgos.
Sharon Margolis will cover all things culture for PhillyVoice.com as Entertainment and Lifestyle Reporter/Web Producer, developing enterprise stories and investigative projects from across Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Margolis most recently served as Audio Archivist to PennSound at the University of Pennsylvania, where she curated and maintained a digital poetry archive comprised of 30,000 audio and visual recordings and 1,000 web pages. In 2012, she blogged about local news and music in Philadelphia for Philebrity.com, and wrote Philadelphia Weekly’s “Lush Life” nightlife column and calendar previews from February 2010 to June 2011. Sharon has held positions throughout Philadelphia’s entertainment industry, including Live Nation Entertainment, 88.5 WXPN and Helium Comedy Club.
“Sharon will serve as a personal guide to our readers on everything they need to know about the Philadelphia region’s rich supply of culture and entertainment,” said Leah Kauffman, Executive Editor, Entertainment and Lifestyle, PhillyVoice.com. “Whether they are looking for weekend plans, the latest trends in style, or an inside look at the area’s lavish food scene, Sharon will undoubtedly be the region’s point person.”
Aubrey Nagle will creatively produce and develop the website’s event calendar as Event Listings Producer, ensuring PhillyVoice.com is the “go-to” destination for the latest and most popular events in the region. Nagle brings broad experience to PhillyVoice.com from serving in multiple editorial positions in the magazine industry, including Philadelphia Magazine, Marie Claire, and Seventeen. Nagle graduates from Drexel University in December with a Bachelor of Arts in English. During her time at Drexel, Nagle founded and served as Editor-in-Chief for the Drexel chapter of Her Campus from April 2013 to June 2013. She was also Managing Editor of the university’s independent student newspaper, The Triangle.
“With a passion for the Philadelphia community and a solid understanding of the event landscape, Aubrey is the perfect candidate to inform readers of the most exhilarating activities our region has to offer,” said Kauffman.
As a Copy Editor for PhillyVoice.com, Franklin McNeil will work closely with the senior editors in editing breaking news, enterprise stories, and blog posts. McNeil most recently served as Senior Editor for SportsWorldNews.com, a website that provides a global audience with the latest headlines in sports. From 2008 to 2014, McNeil was a Writer/Columnist for ESPN.com, where he wrote about boxing and mixed martial arts, and served as an in-studio analyst on ESPN2’s MMA Live. McNeil was a Senior Copy Editor, Columnist on boxing and mixed martial arts, and General Assignment Reporter for The Star-Ledger in Newark, NJ from 1998 to 2008. He also served as a Senior Copy Editor from 1994 to 1998 at the Akron Beacon Journal.
“Franklin’s expertise across multiple channels and topics, especially sports, will be invaluable as we aim to become the readers’ essential source for news, sports, and culture,” said McGovern.
Thom Carroll joins PhillyVoice.com with a strong background in photography, videography, and editing. In addition to his new role at the website as Photographer/Photo Editor, Carroll has owned and operated his own company, Thom Carroll Photography since 2007. He serves as a Photography Instructor for Moore College of Art & Design, and has also provided his services as a Photographer for various organizations throughout the region. Carroll’s distinguished portfolio includes clients such as Toyota, CNN, Philly.com, Haverford College, Bryn Mawr College, and The University of Pennsylvania. Carroll is also the Photo Editor of PhillyPedals.com, a website dedicated to news and information about biking in Philadelphia.
“Thom brings a keen eye for visual detail to PhillyVoice.com that is evident in his outstanding imagery,” said Kauffman. “His talent, energy, expertise, and photographic eye will prove very valuable to readers as he leads our efforts in making PhillyVoice.com a destination for visually impactful news across all channels of the website.”
