Versha Sharma, a managing editor at the news website NowThis, will be the new editor at Teen Vogue. The 34-year-old’s appointment comes nearly two months after Alexi MåcCammond, a former Axios journalist, resigned after staff members publicly condemned tweets she had posted a decade earlier.
Sharma, 34, was in charge of news and cultural coverage at NowThis, and was part of a team that received an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2018 for a documentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Sharma is on the board of the Online News Association and previously worked for TalkingPointsMemo, MSNBC.com and Vocativ. She will begin her role at Teen Vogue on May 24.
“I’ve long admired the work that Teen Vogue has done, building and fostering a community of young people who want to change the world,” Sharma said in a statement. “I believe that Teen Vogue can continue to be a force for good, with a focus on empathy, accountability, optimism and impact, and it is such an honor to join this team and lead the title into the future.”
Sharma took to Twitter after her appointment was announced. “Cherry on top: being named the first South Asian American EIC of @teenvogue during AAPI Heritage Month,” she wrote.
In another tweet, she wrote: “It’s bittersweet leaving @nowthisnews, where I spent the last 7 years (!!) of my life, but in true NT fashion, they have been so supportive of and are excited for me. I know I’ll be a lifelong fan.”
“To the @teenvogue team: I am so, so excited to get started, and appreciate all the amazing work you’ve done already,” she wrote in another tweet. “Thank you Anna and so many others for the opportunity of a lifetime.”
In a statement, Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and the chief content officer of Condé Nast said: “Versha is a natural leader with a global perspective and deep understanding of local trends and issues — from politics and activism to culture and fashion — and their importance to our audience.”
When asked by The New York Times about the furor regarding McCammond’s resignation, Sharma said: “I don’t really feel it’s my place to comment on that. All I can say is I share the values of the Teen Vogue staff and audience, and I’m very excited to work with them and work together moving forward.”