Mark Schoofs Named New Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed News

Mark Schoofs has been named the new Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed News, the publication announced Tuesday morning. He replaces Ben Smith, who left the company to write for the New York Times in early March.

Schoofs will begin his tenure on May 18, based out of Los Angeles.

“I’m so excited to welcome Mark back to BuzzFeed, because I know how deeply committed he is to ensuring that BuzzFeed News remains the best place on the internet for free, high quality news, and reaches even greater heights,” BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti said in a press release. “I’m also confident, even during these tough times, that BuzzFeed News will be in the best possible hands under Mark’s leadership.”

Schoofs has won several Pulitzer prizes at The Village Voice and The Wall Street Journal. He was formerly a senior editor at ProPublica before becoming the head of the investigative reporting division at BuzzFeed News. In 2018, he joined University of Souther California’s School of Communication and Journalism while still advising BuzzFeed News.

Schoofs will stay on at USC while being Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed News per the release and still teach a course on internet culture, networks, and digital media.