The Atlantic Hires Jenna Johnson and Dan Zak as Senior Editors, and Tyler Austin Harper as Staff Writer

Today The Atlantic is announcing three new staff members: Tyler Austin Harper, who was previously a contributing writer, will become a staff writer, and Jenna Johnson and Dan Zak will both be senior editors. Tyler has written for The Atlantic since 2023; before joining the magazine on staff, he was an associate professor at Bates College. Jenna and Dan both come to The Atlantic from The Washington Post, where they have worked for almost two decades.

Below is the announcement about these hires from The Atlantic’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg:

First, Tyler. As a contributing writer for us, he has published an impressive number of articles on an even more impressive range of topics: extreme fishing off Montauk, gun ownership in America, ChatGPT on college campuses, and many, many others. I speak for so many of us when I say that the more Tyler we have, the better. He’ll be joining us from Bates College, where he has been an assistant professor of environmental studies.

Now, Dan. Dan Zak is a gifted journalist with a talent for teasing out clear, compelling narratives, and for bringing complicated profiles to life. He brings to us a deep love for magazines and the craft of writing. (Don’t get him started on the Caitlin Flanagan lede. Or, actually, do.) At The Post, he wrote for the Style section for nearly twenty years before becoming an editor in 2023. Dan is also the author of Almighty, a book about anti-nuclear activists, and he was nominated for a National Magazine Award this year in the feature writing category.

From Jeffrey, announcing Jenna’s hire last week:

I'm very happy to report to you that Jenna Johnson is joining The Atlantic as a senior editor. Jenna is a supremely talented journalist with deep expertise in all things Trump. She comes to us after 18 years at The Washington Post, where she most recently served as immigration editor. Before that role, she served as the deputy editor for democracy coverage. Jenna is beloved by her reporters, who tell us she guided them to the best work of their careers. She’s creative, bold, and unfailingly prepared for whatever the news may bring. She also leads with empathy and is generous with advice for the dozens of young journalists she has mentored over the course of her career.

Before becoming an editor, Jenna was best known for her distinctive coverage of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement. She was The Post’s lead reporter on his 2016 presidential campaign and, through interviews with his supporters, produced memorable dispatches from rallies across the country. Jenna examined the types of communities where Trump held his events and documented how he made suspicion of Muslims, immigrants and other groups a centerpiece of his pitch to voters. As a White House reporter during his first administration, she documented America’s deepening divisions.

The Atlantic has announced a number of new hires since the start of the year, including managing editor Griff Witte; staff writers Isaac Stanley-Becker, Nick Miroff, Ashley Parker, Michael Scherer, and Caity Weaver; and contributing writers Jonathan Lemire and Alex Reisner. Please reach out with any questions or requests.

Press Contact: Sammi Sontag, The Atlantic | press@theatlantic.com