Samantha Melbourneweaver promoted to assistant managing editor for audience

The following announcement was sent on behalf of Executive Editor Kevin Merida and Managing Editor Kimi Yoshino:

We are delighted to announce that Samantha Melbourneweaver is being promoted to assistant managing editor for audience.

In the three years since she started at The Times, Melbourneweaver has transformed a tiny team of a few key audience editors into a powerhouse group interwoven in every department and facet of our journalism.

The promotion comes with a significant expansion of our audience team that will enhance The Times’ ability to reach new subscribers and extend our journalism’s impact. Elevating this audience-focused role is also a reflection of how important this work is for The Times.

We will add 15 positions — nine to grow the core audience team and an additional six aimed at producing lively, original content that will pop on social platforms from Twitter to Instagram to TikTok and beyond. This new squad of internet storytellers — our “meme team” — will experiment with form and voice, starting conversations with their content, building online communities and establishing new relationships between the L.A. Times and people who may not currently think of us as a part of their world.

This is a major investment in our digital growth and a critical step toward attracting new readers. The expansion will benefit the entire newsroom and every area of our coverage. In total, the positions include audience and social media editors, SEO and news aggregator producers, social content creators and a user-generated content expert.

Melbourneweaver has a proven track record as an advocate for experimentation and innovation. She’s always eager to brainstorm and collaborate and to make ideas happen. We’re thrilled she will be leading this important digital initiative.