Ryan Schreiber has stepped down as top editor of Pitchfork, where he has served since he founded the online music magazine back in 1995. The company has been a property of Condé Nast since 2015, which announced in a press release that he would be replaced by former Spin editor Puja Patel.
“Puja is a highly respected and innovative editor who has spent her career covering the music industry,” said Schreiber in the release that called him the “founder and visionary of Pitchfork.”
“We expect that she will bring new perspectives and ideas to Pitchfork’s incredibly talented editorial team. I’m confident she will help further solidify Pitchfork’s standing as the most esteemed music brand in the industry,” he added.
The release said that Schreiber would remain with the company as “strategic advisor” and assist Patel with management. In her own statement, Patel sad he was “honored” to be leading the brand and also praised Schreiber’s stewardship of the website.
“I am honored to be joining Pitchfork as editor-in-chief,” she said. “Ryan has built Pitchfork into a special place for music obsessives with wide-ranging curiosity, and I’m so excited to helm and expand on that vision in the coming months.”
With many of Condé Nast’s brands struggling to stay afloat, it’s unclear what motivated the management shakeup. A rep for the company declined to respond to inquiries about what motivated the decision or what future plans Patel had for the company.