The​ ​following​ ​is​ ​a​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​Naina​ ​Bajekal’s​ ​memo​ ​to​ ​then-Newsweek​ ​chief​ ​Matt​ ​McAllester.​ ​Note
that​ ​because​ ​it​ ​was​ ​posted​ ​on​ ​the​ ​company’s​ ​shared​ ​Google​ ​Drive,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​date,​ ​and​ ​the
final​ ​version​ ​may​ ​have​ ​differed​ ​from​ ​the​ ​one​ ​that​ ​appears​ ​below.
————————(BAJEKAL’S​ ​MESSAGE​ ​TO​ ​McALLESTER)——————————————
Key​ ​things
I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​have​ ​a​ ​say​ ​in​ ​story​ ​priorities​ ​and​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​we’re​ ​going​ ​in,​ ​both​ ​on​ ​the

site​ ​and​ ​in​ ​the​ ​magazine.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​part​ ​of​ ​coming​ ​up​ ​with​ ​the​ ​vision​ ​of​ ​what​ ​Newsweek
is​ ​and​ ​should​ ​be,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​we​ ​should​ ​be​ ​growing.

One​ ​thing​ ​I've​ ​enjoyed​ ​is​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​advocate​ ​for​ ​certain​ ​stories​ ​and​ ​writers,​ ​or​ ​other​ ​staff,​ ​to
make​ ​sure​ ​people​ ​are​ ​being​ ​listened​ ​to​ ​and​ ​their​ ​jobs​ ​are​ ​being​ ​carved​ ​out​ ​accordingly.
I’d​ ​see​ ​Chelsea​ ​as​ ​a​ ​great​ ​partner​ ​in​ ​making​ ​sure​ ​the​ ​news​ ​coverage​ ​on​ ​the​ ​website​ ​is

comprehensive​ ​and​ ​insightful​ ​and​ ​accurate.​ ​Would​ ​also​ ​be​ ​well​ ​positioned​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​the
London​ ​editors​ ​and​ ​reporters​ ​as​ ​I​ ​know​ ​them.

While​ ​I’d​ ​be​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​reduce​ ​my​ ​remit​ ​(it’s​ ​so​ ​broad​ ​in​ ​London)​ ​because​ ​of​ ​the​ ​other​ ​people​ ​in
the​ ​US,​ ​I​ ​think​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​the​ ​staff​ ​there​ ​well​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​know​ ​exactly​ ​where​ ​the​ ​lines​ ​should

fall.​ ​Also​ ​because​ ​of​ ​shortstaffing,​ ​I​ ​feel​ ​I​ ​haven’t​ ​had​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​do​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​the​ ​things​ ​I​ ​would
have​ ​liked​ ​to​ ​do​ ​here​ ​and​ ​would​ ​still​ ​like​ ​to​ ​be​ ​involved​ ​on​ ​the​ ​site​ ​and​ ​strategy​ ​stuff​ ​in​ ​New

York.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​stop​ ​being​ ​involved​ ​in​ ​the​ ​magazine​ ​and​ ​hand​ ​it​ ​all​ ​over

to​ ​Bob​ ​and​ ​Ross​ ​and​ ​you,​ ​because​ ​a)​ ​that’s​ ​a​ ​pretty​ ​homogeneous​ ​demographic​ ​and​ ​I​ ​think​ ​the

magazine​ ​would​ ​suffer​ ​for​ ​it,​ ​and​ ​b)​ ​I​ ​really​ ​enjoy​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​parts​ ​of​ ​the​ ​process,​ ​including​ ​parts​ ​that
interest​ ​them​ ​less​ ​—​ ​especially​ ​with​ ​Ross​ ​in​ ​LA,​ ​e.g.​ ​working​ ​on​ ​pages​ ​and​ ​layout​ ​and​ ​design.

And​ ​I’ll​ ​happily​ ​do​ ​special​ ​projects​ ​and​ ​branded​ ​content​ ​but​ ​not​ ​at​ ​the​ ​expense​ ​of​ ​being​ ​involved
in​ ​the​ ​regular​ ​weekly​ ​magazine​ ​stuff.

In​ ​general,​ ​here’s​ ​some​ ​things​ ​I​ ​think​ ​I​ ​could​ ​do​ ​and​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​do:
Creative​ ​side:
●
●

Working​ ​with​ ​photo​ ​and​ ​art​ ​on​ ​layout​ ​and​ ​pages,​ ​putting​ ​together​ ​the​ ​magazine​ ​and
making​ ​it​ ​look​ ​better.​ ​Working​ ​on​ ​the​ ​redesign,​ ​covers.

Working​ ​on​ ​photo​ ​essays​ ​and​ ​video​ ​projects.​ ​Would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​write​ ​more​ ​about
photography.

 ●
●

Writing​ ​for​ ​the​ ​magazine

Working​ ​on​ ​potential​ ​redesign​ ​of​ ​website​ ​at​ ​some​ ​point​ ​(Dream​ ​CMS​ ​dependent,​ ​etc)

More​ ​intellectual​ ​side/special​ ​projects
●
●
●

Commissioning​ ​and​ ​conceptualizing​ ​and​ ​editing​ ​stories​ ​for​ ​the​ ​magazine

Digital​ ​and​ ​growth​ ​strategy​ ​–​ ​analyzing​ ​traffic​ ​data​ ​and​ ​planning​ ​for​ ​where​ ​to​ ​grow;
what​ ​it​ ​means;​ ​where​ ​to​ ​invest

Developing​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​expand​ ​the​ ​brand​ ​into​ ​new​ ​platforms​ ​and​ ​new​ ​venues,​ ​including
bringing​ ​some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​things​ ​we’ve​ ​done​ ​in​ ​London​ ​to​ ​the​ ​US​ ​(podcasts,​ ​events)​ ​and

●
●

new​ ​things​ ​(VR,​ ​working​ ​on​ ​Instagram)

Special​ ​projects:​ ​Davos,​ ​Women​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Future,​ ​City​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Future,​ ​New​ ​Philanthropists
Branded​ ​content​ ​ventures

General​ ​newsroom​ ​stuff
●
●

Bringing​ ​in​ ​new​ ​writers​ ​to​ ​the​ ​magazine,​ ​hiring​ ​new​ ​staff

Working​ ​with​ ​the​ ​writers​ ​and​ ​other​ ​staff​ ​on​ ​their​ ​own​ ​development​ ​&​ ​coming​ ​up​ ​with
solutions

●
●

Having​ ​a​ ​say​ ​on​ ​our​ ​editorial​ ​angles​ ​and​ ​representation​ ​of​ ​certain​ ​issues

Would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​be​ ​doing​ ​more​ ​to​ ​encourage​ ​diversity​ ​&​ ​progress​ ​in​ ​the​ ​newsroom;
outreach​ ​programs

Things​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do
●
●
●

Web​ ​editing​ ​shifts,​ ​bar​ ​working​ ​with​ ​reporters​ ​on​ ​enterprise​ ​stories
Any​ ​digital​ ​production​ ​of​ ​the​ ​magazine

Day-to-day​ ​crisis​ ​management;​ ​chasing​ ​invoices;​ ​liaising​ ​and​ ​checking​ ​everything​ ​is
done​ ​—​ ​the​ ​managing​ ​editor​ ​stuff

Possible​ ​titles

I​ ​personally​ ​think​ ​this​ ​is​ ​much​ ​less​ ​important​ ​than​ ​my​ ​remit.
My​ ​main​ ​concern​ ​is​ ​that​ ​I​ ​am​ ​pretty​ ​much​ ​always​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​de​ ​facto​ ​your​ ​deputy,​ ​even​ ​if​ ​Bob
has​ ​that​ ​title.​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​really​ ​see​ ​how​ ​that​ ​would​ ​change.​ ​And​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​really​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​secret

deputy​ ​-​ ​not​ ​just​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​being​ ​below​ ​Bob​ ​but​ ​also​ ​if​ ​it​ ​means​ ​I​ ​have​ ​to​ ​give​ ​all​ ​my​ ​thoughts

via​ ​you​ ​than​ ​directly​ ​to​ ​people.​ ​Bob​ ​would​ ​have​ ​no​ ​problem​ ​telling​ ​me​ ​if​ ​he​ ​thought​ ​something​ ​I
did​ ​sucked​ ​—​ ​and​ ​I​ ​should​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​say​ ​the​ ​same​ ​to​ ​him​ ​if​ ​I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​problem.​ T
​ op​ ​editing

 shouldn’t​ ​be​ ​a​ ​person,​ ​it​ ​should​ ​be​ ​a​ ​stage;​ ​and​ ​we​ ​should​ ​come​ ​up​ ​with​ ​a​ ​structure​ ​at​ ​some
point​ ​that​ ​means​ ​one​ ​person​ ​is​ ​a​ ​top​ ​editor​ ​for​ ​different​ ​stories.

I​ ​would​ ​suggest​ ​a​ ​more​ ​horizontal​ ​structure,​ ​with​ ​deputy​ ​managing​ ​editors/deputy

editors/executive​ ​editors​ ​or​ ​whatever​ ​title​ ​makes​ ​most​ ​sense.​ ​If​ ​it​ ​doesn’t​ ​make​ ​sense​ ​for​ ​Ross

to​ ​be​ ​on​ ​the​ ​same​ ​level​ ​as​ ​Bob​ ​(I​ ​personally​ ​disagree​ ​with​ ​that)​ ​then​ ​Ross​ ​could​ ​have​ ​a​ ​title​ ​that
still​ ​meant​ ​he​ ​reported​ ​to​ ​you​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​Bob​ ​—​ ​e.g.​ ​National​ ​Editor,​ ​or​ ​Features​ ​editor.​ ​Which
are​ ​still​ ​in​ ​that​ ​senior​ ​masthead​ ​level,​ ​on​ ​parallel​ ​with​ ​the​ ​London​ ​editor,​ ​digital​ ​editor​ ​and​ ​me
and​ ​Bob​ ​as​ ​far​ ​as​ ​I’m​ ​concerned.

One​ ​reason​ ​for​ ​this​ ​structure​ ​for​ ​me​ ​personally​ ​is​ ​that​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​reason​ ​people​ ​listen​ ​to​ ​me

right​ ​now​ ​is​ ​my​ ​title.​ ​I’m​ ​worried​ ​that​ ​a​ ​title​ ​that​ ​makes​ ​me​ ​more​ ​junior​ ​will​ ​make​ ​it​ ​difficult​ ​for​ ​me
to​ ​have​ ​my​ ​say​ ​and​ ​be​ ​taken​ ​seriously,​ ​especially​ ​by​ ​people​ ​like​ ​Bob​ ​and​ ​the​ ​older​ ​staff​ ​in​ ​NY.​ ​I
don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​I’m​ ​in​ ​a​ ​permanent​ ​ops​ ​meeting,​ ​and​ ​because​ ​I’m​ ​25,​ ​I​ ​do​ ​need​ ​that
backing​ ​from​ ​you​ ​openly​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want​ ​me​ ​to​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​get​ ​things​ ​done.

I​ ​also​ ​think​ ​that​ ​I’ve​ ​done​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​prove​ ​myself​ ​as​ ​equal​ ​to​ ​Bob​ ​in​ ​various​ ​ways.​ ​I​ ​completely
agree​ ​that​ ​Bob​ ​and​ ​Ross​ ​are​ ​better​ ​story​ ​editors​ ​and​ ​line​ ​editors​ ​than​ ​I​ ​am,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​don’t​ ​think

that’s​ ​the​ ​only​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​matters​ ​in​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​growing​ ​this​ ​newsroom​ ​or​ ​improving​ ​the​ ​quality​ ​of
the​ ​site.​ ​I​ ​still​ ​am​ ​a​ ​good​ ​magazine​ ​editor​ ​and​ ​while​ ​I’m​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​defer​ ​to​ ​Bob​ ​on​ ​rooflines​ ​or

various​ ​things​ ​that​ ​he’s​ ​great​ ​at,​ ​I​ ​have​ ​a​ ​better​ ​overall​ ​sense​ ​than​ ​him​ ​already​ ​of​ ​what​ ​making​ ​a
magazine​ ​in​ ​2017​ ​involves—the​ ​design​ ​side​ ​of​ ​communicating​ ​with​ ​art​ ​and​ ​photo;​ ​thinking​ ​of​ ​a

story’s​ ​digital​ ​life​ ​and​ ​planning​ ​for​ ​video​ ​and​ ​other​ ​aspects.​ ​I​ ​also​ ​understand​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of
using​ ​different​ ​approaches​ ​for​ ​different​ ​kinds​ ​of​ ​writers,​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​edit​ ​stories​ ​by​ ​actually
rewriting​ ​bits​ ​of​ ​them​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​just​ ​pointing​ ​out​ ​everything​ ​that’s​ ​wrong​ ​with​ ​them​ ​to​ ​the
writer/editor​ ​without​ ​fixing​ ​them.​ ​(I​ ​think​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​real​ ​flaw​ ​in​ ​Ross​ ​and​ ​Bob’s​ ​editing​ ​style.)

If​ ​Ross​ ​is​ ​junior​ ​to​ ​Bob​ ​simply​ ​because​ ​they​ ​do​ ​the​ ​same​ ​stuff​ ​and​ ​Ross​ ​just​ ​does​ ​the​ ​same

stuff​ ​as​ ​Bob​ ​but​ ​less​ ​well​ ​(again,​ ​I’m​ ​not​ ​sure​ ​that’s​ ​true,​ ​that’s​ ​just​ ​been​ ​the​ ​chain​ ​of​ ​command)
then​ ​fine,​ ​Ross​ ​should​ ​be​ ​below​ ​Bob.​ ​But​ ​I​ ​do​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​other​ ​things​ ​that​ ​neither​ ​of​ ​them​ ​do​ ​or

could​ ​do,​ ​or​ ​express​ ​any​ ​interest​ ​in​ ​doing—at​ ​least​ ​as​ ​far​ ​as​ ​I​ ​know.​ ​(which​ ​is​ ​why​ ​I​ ​thought
memos​ ​might​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​idea​ ​because​ ​maybe​ ​I’m​ ​totally​ ​wrong​ ​on​ ​this​ ​and​ ​I’m​ ​sure​ ​you’re
seeing​ ​stuff​ ​in​ ​NY​ ​that​ ​I’m​ ​not).

In​ ​general​ ​from​ ​a​ ​non-self-serving​ ​point​ ​of​ ​view,​ ​I​ ​think​ ​having​ ​less​ ​of​ ​a​ ​print-digital​ ​hierarchy

would​ ​be​ ​a​ ​really​ ​good​ ​way​ ​to​ ​shake​ ​things​ ​up​ ​in​ ​the​ ​US​ ​office.​ ​Bob​ ​is​ ​deputy​ ​editor​ ​because

 he’s​ ​the​ ​top​ ​editor​ ​on​ ​the​ ​mag,​ ​not​ ​because​ ​he​ ​does​ ​all​ ​the​ ​things​ ​that​ ​a​ ​proper​ ​editor-in-chief
would​ ​need​ ​their​ ​deputy​ ​to​ ​do.​ ​That’s​ ​because​ ​Jim​ ​had​ ​such​ ​a​ ​heavily​ ​print-focused,

slow-moving​ ​newsroom​ ​and​ ​it​ ​created​ ​that​ ​mentality​ ​everywhere,​ ​that​ ​the​ ​only​ ​stories​ ​worth

doing​ ​were​ ​in​ ​the​ ​magazine​ ​—​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​just​ ​getting​ ​people​ ​to​ ​do​ ​good​ ​stories,​ ​and​ ​lots​ ​of

them.​ ​We​ ​want​ ​to​ ​make​ ​a​ ​great​ ​magazine,​ ​and​ ​have​ ​it​ ​look​ ​beautiful​ ​and​ ​be​ ​pleasurable​ ​—​ ​but
we​ ​also​ ​want​ ​to​ ​do​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​other​ ​things.​ ​I​ ​think​ ​flattening​ ​the​ ​structure​ ​more​ ​so​ ​that​ ​print​ ​and

digital​ ​are​ ​given​ ​equal​ ​status​ ​alongside​ ​all​ ​the​ ​other​ ​entrepreneurial​ ​things​ ​we​ ​want​ ​editors​ ​to​ ​be
doing​ ​and​ ​leading.

References​ ​for​ ​Mastheads
https://www.theatlantic.com/masthead/
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/magazine/masthead.html
http://www.politico.com/media/story/2016/11/time-magazine-adds-eben-shapiro-as-deputy-edito
r-restructures-editorial-leadership-004870
http://www.adweek.com/digital/new-yorkers-masthead-revealed/
http://www.texasmonthly.com/masthead/
https://www.wired.com/wired-staff/
http://harpers.org/masthead/
http://mastheadsonline.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/editor-graydon-carter-managing-editor.html
http://mastheadsonline.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/MONOCLE
http://mastheadsonline.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/NEW%20REPUBLIC%20%28THE%29
http://mastheadsonline.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/NATIONAL%20GEOGRAPHIC
——————-(END​ ​OF​ ​MESSAGE)—————————————————————————