Washington Post
Carey Winfrey, 70, says that “after 10 years, it’s time to give somebody else a chance.” (He’s only the third editor in the Smithsonian magazine’s 40-year history.) The veteran of Time, People and the New York Times says he’s still pondering his next step — something “between writing the Great American Novel, and a lot of e-mails.” || The release is after the jump.
April 8 – Carey Winfrey, editor of Smithsonian magazine since 2001, announced today that he will leave the magazine September 30th.
“After 10 years,” Winfrey said, “it’s time to give somebody else a chance.”
No successor has been named, and Winfrey, who will turn 70 in August, said he has no immediate plans.
“I want to see what, beyond lassitude, comes next,” he said.
Under his aegis, Smithsonian maintained a circulation of two million and enjoyed high renewal rates. Earlier this year, an Affinity American Magazine study of consumer magazines ranked Smithsonian the nation’s “most interesting” magazine, based on audience surveys.
“The Smithsonian is extremely proud of Carey’s work with the magazine over the past decade,” said Tom Ott, president of Smithsonian Enterprises, a division of the Smithsonian Institution. “Smithsonian’s consistent quality and overall excellence under Carey’s leadership cannot be overstated. Through the quality writing and photography in each issue, we have been able to maintain 2 million subscriber/members at a time when industry circulation and audiences are being challenged in the era of digitization and exploding options for the consumer’s time. Carey will indeed be missed.”
Winfrey is only the third editor in the magazine’s 40-year history. Founding Editor Ed Thompson was at Smithsonian’s helm for 10 years, and Don Moser, Thompson’s successor, held the top job for 20. Winfrey said he had considered “keeping a mathematical progression going, but I don’t think my knees would hold up.”
A search for Winfrey’s successor will begin soon.
He added: “Editing Smithsonian has been a privilege and a joy. Most days felt more like play than work.”
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