Latin School of Chicago

Bob Cohn '81 During more than two decades in journalism, Bob Cohn '81 has found success in various areas of his industry. He spent 10 years as a writer and reporter for Newsweek, and later took on the roles of editor, manager and publisher at The Industry Standard, Stanford Magazine, and then Wired, where he made a name for himself helping to transform the niche tech-and-science publication into more of a general interest magazine. In his most recent incarnation, Cohn has gained a reputation for being an influential voice in the world of new media. As the editorial director of TheAtlantic.com, he gets credit for giving the venerable 150-year-old Atlantic magazine a Web presence that is a must-read for Washington insiders. This fall Cohn was recognized as one of the "50 Most Powerful People in D.C." by GQ for his work. "I spent 23 years in the print media, and now, suddenly, I'm a Web guy," Cohn says, still somewhat surprised at the direction his career has taken. "The biggest reward is that I'm now part of a generation of journalists that is trying to reinvent our industry. The old model – print on paper – can't survive for long. The mission is to build a new platform that still delivers and finances the high-quality journalism we rely on." At TheAtlantic.com, where he oversees a team of writers, editors, developers and bloggers, Cohn says he is dealing with new challenges of speed and efficiency while remaining committed to journalistic standards. "I am learning to adjust to the 24/7 nature of the Web and accept that velocity and volume often are at odds with polish. I think we do high-quality work and are coming to terms with the fact that the occasional typo is not a moral failing." Largely inspired by the '70s newsroom drama "Lou Grant," Cohn started his career as editor of the Forum at Latin. At Newsweek, he earned the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award for his coverage of the Clarence Thomas Supreme Court confirmation process before being named White House correspondent and covering the Clinton presidency. "My reporting years at Newsweek were filled with excitement – I met presidents and Cabinet secretaries and Supreme Court justices. I flew on Air Force One with three presidents (Reagan, Bush and Clinton)." During Cohn's tenure at Stanford magazine, it was named the best university publication in the country by Folio magazine. Meanwhile, his transformation of Wired increased circulation and newsstand sales of the magazine by about 50 percent during the eight years he was there. No less impressive is Cohn's academic career. He graduated from Stanford, attended the Kennedy School at Harvard, and later earned a master's in the Study of Law from Yale Law School. He attributes much of his success to the lessons he learned at Latin. "The foundation of who I am intellectually and in terms of my interests began at Latin. Steve Sommers, Greg Baker and Dr. Dolezal exposed me to precision, discipline and rigor in my writing." These qualities continue to serve Cohn well as he bridges print media and the world of the Web. "The biggest reward is that I'm now part of a generation of journalists that is trying to reinvent our industry." Latin School of Chicago 37

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