Alyson Shontell
Editor-in-Chief at Fortune
Bringing a legacy magazine into the digital age
In October 2021, Alyson Shontell became the first female editor-in-chief of the then nearly-100-year-old business publication Fortune. She was 36 years old and had just finished maternity leave. She is now in charge of content across Fortune’s magazine, website, conferences, newsletters, videos, podcasts and iconic annual lists — though her biggest task was bringing the legacy institution into the digital age.
Shontell is no stranger to trailblazing. A graduate of Syracuse University, she did not originally plan on being a journalist. But as a self-described entrepreneurial-minded person who’d always liked writing, she wanted to understand how the media business worked. In 2008 she became the sixth employee at what would become the digital news outlet Business Insider.
Shontell joined the company as a sales planner on the business side, then jumped into the editorial team as a reporter covering new startups that would become today’s tech giants: Tinder, Instagram, Pinterest, and Uber. She eventually became editor-in-chief in 2016. At the time, she was both the youngest and only woman running a global business publication.
By Tiffany Chang
When I was weighing the decision to come to Fortune, the first reaction from everyone was, “Oh my God, Fortune! That’s awesome!”
But I would ask the follow-up question, “Well, when was the last time you read Fortune?” And there was always a long pause in response. I knew there was a relevancy gap we needed to close because it should be a much faster answer.
Having been at Business Insider from the ground floor gave me the confidence to help Fortune get all its ducks in a row to really nail the digital presence it needed. I had a strong opinion on where it should go, and I wanted to steer Fortune there as fast as possible because it really deserves to be around for another 100 years.
Understanding the Power of Brands
It is so different running a media company now, more so than it ever has been before. Starting at Business Insider on the business side helped me become a better editor: just understanding how the media industry is changing, how the business model for media is changing, how to build a sustainable newsroom, and how to create journalism that stands the test of time.
Working at Business Insider was really about building a brand from nothing. It’s the total opposite now, where pretty much everyone in the business world knows Fortune. It’s an incredibly powerful brand, and I continue to be stunned by the power behind it. Moving forward, the question has been how to preserve that.
At the same time, how do we also bring more people along with it? The future Millennial and Gen Z leaders don’t all know Fortune, and they certainly might not think of it as a must-read. That’s something that I’m always thinking: What makes Fortune all that great? What has made it the brand that it is today — and then how do we build on top of that to make sure it’s around for the next 100 years?
Leaning into Change
The media industry is a place where you can never rest because nothing will stay the same. For as long as I’ve witnessed it, things dramatically change at least every three to six months.
Social media has drastically changed the landscape for journalism, publishers, the media, and the way that readers engage with those brands and stories. Now, every story has to stand on its own.
In a world where most people find things to read on their social media feeds, you can’t tell from the headline where it came from, who the author is, how long the article is, or any substance of it. You know nothing except the headline. And so every single story you write is kind of its own publication, its own thing that has to live in the world as a standalone. That’s a huge, huge shift.
There’s a lot of different ways to consume stories, and even now it’s evolving. I talk to younger generations and, increasingly, I’m told “I don’t read articles, I watch the news on TikTok.” That was not part of the discussion even six months ago.
As a newsroom leader, I have to be constantly aware of the changes happening in the industry and making sure that we’re finding readers wherever they are, however they want their stories. And that’s changing all the time.
The Importance of Role Models
Nobody meeting me expects me to be the editor of Fortune. Once at a meeting I was introduced as the editor, and the person said, “Oh, are you, like, the newsletter editor at Fortune?”
People don’t look at me and think, “Oh, yeah, of course, she runs the whole thing.” I’m always met with surprise, which is frustrating. But I also don’t mind being underestimated. It can be a powerful position to be in.
The media industry is a place where you can never rest because nothing will stay the same.
Putting women role models forward so that younger generations can see themselves reflected in the leaders we celebrate is really, really important. I don’t think we should focus on it all the time, but we have to show the next generation how to aim high. There is still a gap, and if you don’t actively work to highlight those role models, you’re doing a disservice.
During my first week, Fortune hosted our Most Powerful Women Summit. We’ve been doing this summit for decades, and I think it still needs to exist. Only 44 Women run Fortune 500 companies, and the list of the world’s billionaires includes very few women — certainly, very few that have created their own wealth. There is no female Elon Musk, or Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg out there.
The exciting (and sometimes frustrating) challenge of being a woman in any industry is that because there are still a lot of “firsts” to accomplish, you can have a historic career whether you intend to or not. It’s a total privilege and honor, but there is this feeling that if you screw up, you’re not just screwing it up for yourself, you’re also screwing it up for other people that would fall behind you.
It’s definitely an added layer of pressure. I just want to make sure that I’m the first of many.
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