Jon Barrett New Editor At The Advocate

Big news from gay mag The Advocate.

After 15-years as editor, Anne Stockwell has “stepped down,” thus making room for new EIC Jon Barrett, who will apparently be leading the long-running pub in a “new direction.” And here! networks, which bought the PlanetOut periodicals earlier this year, couldn’t be more excited about the regime change. Said honchos Stephen P. Jarchow and Paul Colichman:

We are thrilled that Jon Barrett will bring his talent to this important brand and continue the historic tradition of The Advocate. Barrett will provide the magazine with a provocative new perspective around the critical issues affecting the lives of the LGBT community as well as expand Advocate.com into a definitive, daily online news source.

Like Stockwell, Barrett’s an industry veteran and previously worked as senior editor at Real Simple, O at Home and Cargo.

Full release, after the jump…

LOS ANGELES – May 23, 2008 – here! Networks is pleased to announce that, upon its final purchase of the LPI Media properties from PlanetOut Inc., it will name Jon Barrett as Editor in Chief of The Advocate and Advocate.com, the world’s leading news and entertainment destinations for the LGBT community.

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“Over the past 40 years The Advocate has become the publication of record for the LGBT community,” said Paul Colichman and Stephen P. Jarchow, CEO and Chairman of here! Networks, respectively. “We are thrilled that Jon Barrett will bring his talent to this important brand and continue the historic tradition of The Advocate. Barrett will provide the magazine with a provocative new perspective around the critical issues affecting the lives of the LGBT community as well as expand Advocate.com into a definitive, daily online news source. ”

Barrett replaces Anne Stockwell who has resigned to pursue new opportunities after 15 years of strong leadership at the magazine, most recently overseeing its major redesign and 40th Anniversary Issue. Stockwell will continue writing for The Advocate as Editor at Large, in addition to story assignments for sister publications Out and Out Traveler.

“The Advocate has always mirrored the needs of its readership, whether that meant advancing the explosive push for civil rights in the 1960s, documenting the heady liberation of the 1970s, or assuming the serious–and necessary–mantle of newsmagazine in the 1980s and ‘90s,” said Barrett. “What it means to be a member of the LGBT community continues to evolve, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to carry on with Anne Stockwell’s incredible work, ensuring that The Advocate and Advocate.com are in step with–and ahead of–these changes.”

With over 15 years experience as a journalist and in publishing, Barrett most recently served as the Features Director for O at Home, an Oprah Magazine published by Hearst . Prior to that, he worked as the Senior Editor for Cargo, from the Conde Nast group, and as a Senior Editor for Real Simple, a Time Inc. publication. Barrett now comes back to The Advocate after having served for six years as the publication’s Senior News Editor from 1997-2003. Before coming to The Advocate he was an Assistant Editor at the Windy City Times, Chicago’s premier LGBT weekly newspaper.

His writing credits also include two books: 2002’s Hero of Flight 93: Mark Bingham, from Alyson Books, and working as a writing collaborator on Evan Wolfson’s Why Marriage Matters, published by Simon & Schuster in 2004. Barrett has worked extensively as a freelance writer and has been published in titles including Cosmopolitan, Glamour, People, Teen People and Paper.

Barrett will report directly to Aaron Hicklin, Editorial Director of Out and The Advocate. “In these extraordinary times for the LGBT community, I can’t think of a better steward for a magazine that continues to chronicle, and advance, our struggle for equality,” said Hicklin. “Jon Barrett is a proven talent who brings with him experience, perspective, and passion. I look forward to working together.”