Emil Wilbekin Named Managing Editor of Essence.com
June 1, 2009
(New York, NY) —Emil Wilbekin has been named Managing Editor of Essence.com; responsible for the development of original, timely and compelling daily content and programming for the site’s multiple channels. The announcement was made today by Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief, ESSENCE, to whom he will report. As one of the first projects to emerge from the partnership between The Warner Bros. Television Group’s Telepictures Productions and Time Inc.’s Essence Communications Inc., the revamped Essence.com is the largest and fastest growing African-American magazine website.
In his new role, Wilbekin joins Essence.com General Manager, Lesley Pinckney, to comprise the Essence.com leadership team. As Managing Editor, Emil will lead the Essence.com editorial team and work closely with Pinckney and the brand’s senior creative and business executives on the development and extension of the site’s unique offerings, which include original video programming –EXTRA on ESSENCE and ESSENCE TV -- and an active online community in partnership with the Ning social network. EXTRA on ESSENCE is an of-the-minute roundup of the week’s hottest entertainment news, gossip, and celebrity style.
“We are so excited to have such an experienced journalist and talented editor as Emil join the Essence.com team,” says Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in- Chief, ESSENCE. “The broad spectrum of Emil’s expertise – from style to entertainment to news -- will further the development of ESSENCE’s digital platform, which serves a broad audience of savvy and intelligent African-American women with innovative daily content.”
Wilbekin had been the Editor-in-Chief, GIANT, where he oversaw editorial for the magazine and for giantmag.com. While there, Wilbekin helped re-launch the website, resulting in impressive traffic growth and two Webby honors (for Best Fan Site and Best Celebrity Site). Also notably, he created the site’s robust coverage of the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, “A New Day”, from the perspective of celebrity, style and culture.
Prior to that, Wilbekin was a consultant on behalf of Microsoft for popular digital ventures, such as the official Lebron James website and blog, as well as other MSN sites covering style and travel. In addition, Wilbekin was previously a reporter/writer for AOL Black Voices, a contributor to huffingtonpost.com and converse.com and the VP of Brand Development for Marc Ecko; responsible for promoting the Marc Ecko collection and contributing to the company’s magazine, Complex.
Wilbekin began his career as one of the founding editors of Vibe magazine, where he also served as the Style Editor, Fashion Director, and Editor-in-Chief. He also served as the VP of Brand Development for Vibe Ventures, where he oversaw vibe.com, mobile, books, and Vibe TV, and executive produced the Vibe Awards.
Wilbekin holds a B.S. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.
About Essence Communications Inc.
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is “Where Black Women Come First”. The company’s flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our Women (WOW I, II & III) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 39 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a readership of 8.1 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women’s lives.
Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at Essence.com.
About Telepictures Productions
For the 2008-09 season, Telepictures Productions - an industry-leading and Emmy® Award-winning producer of syndicated programming (having garnered 54 Emmys® in 12 years, including Outstanding Talk Show/Talk Show Host for 10 of the last 12 years), is producing eight nationally syndicated strips. Telepictures just launched the critically acclaimed "The Bonnie Hunt Show," a talk-variety show that is a combination of the best of the classic format, heartfelt human-interest stories, and invaluable takeaway that real women can use in their everyday lives. The slate also includes the sixth season of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," winner of four consecutive Daytime Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Talk Show and four for Outstanding Talk Show Host; the second season of "TMZ," the half-hour series that brings the TMZ.com brand to television, expanding upon the website's mission as a 24-hour-per day, seven-day-per week entertainment news destination providing a fresh, unfiltered look at celebrities and their real lives; the fourth season of the Emmy® Award-winning "The Tyra Banks Show," a one-hour, daily talk show serving as a young woman's guide to life, hosted by Tyra Banks; the 10th season of the hour-long court series "Judge Mathis"; the 25th season of "The People's Court"; and the 15th season of the pop culture newsmagazine "Extra." In addition, this season, Telepictures also launched "Judge Jeanine Pirro," a one-hour daily court program, which airs at 3 p.m. on The CW Network, featuring Jeanine Pirro, the former Westchester County (N.Y.) District Attorney and county judge, highly respected legal commentator and author, and champion of women's rights. In November 2009, Telepictures will add George Lopez's new late-night talk show, "Lopez Tonight," airing on TBS to its slate. Telepictures is focused on expanding in the broadband and wireless content landscape, launching MomLogic.com, a new online destination and cross-platform advertising network created as the ultimate lifestyle and parenting community for women with children.
Contact:
Dana Baxter
212-522-1634
dbaxter@essence.com
