Jon Barrett Named Editor in Chief of The Advocate

There’s a new Gay in charge over at The Advocate. After a huge drop in profits last year, the Gay media company had finally decided to restructure itself and was sold to Here! Networks for $6 million. Today they announced the new Queen to the Kingdom, Jon Barrett.

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.

“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.

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.”