After nine years,Politico chief White House correspondent Mike Allen will hand off oversight of the political outlet’s famed Playbook to staff writers Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman on July 11. The newsletter will still brief readers on “what’s driving the day in Washington,” but don’t expect it to observe precisely the same.“The news cycle has obviously changed since Playbook was first created, and so we want to make sure we win the morning but also own the day,” senior Washington correspondent Anna Palmer told TheWrap.
Palmer and Sherman scheme to incorporate social media and audio into Playbook’s already prominent brand, having spent several weeks preparing to “expand the ecosystem” once they officially take control of the newsletter.
Also Read: Politico Names Mike Allen's Replacements on Playbook“Mike has been a friend and mentor and encouraged us to take the job. We’re very excited in terms of looking at where we want to take the product, and ” Palmer said. “We want to continue making the newsletter a must-read in Washington … we also have designs on how to modernize [Playbook].
This plunge,Politico plans to launch Playbook Plus, a website similar to the original newsletter that will allow Palmer and Sherman to update Playbook readers around the clock as news breaks.
The duo also plans to launch 90-second audio clips featuring the most important info for those in the Playbook audience who don’t have time to read the entire newsletter.
Also Read: How Politico's Playbook Will proceed on Without Mike AllenWe want to meet our readers where they are. People like the newsletter, and the newsletter is the centerpiece of the franchise,but people are consuming news everywhere and we need to make sure that we serve them in a way that’s useful to them,” senior writer Sherman told TheWrap. “We don’t want them to have to run to advance to us. We want to proceed to them, or where they are.”The Playbook franchise has already grown beyond Allen’s individual voice. Politico has launched additional versions in Brussels,Florida, fresh York, or Massachusetts,Illinois and California, each with its own tone and style. However, or Palmer and Sherman are Politico veterans who understand the importance of Allen’s version.“Once it was clear that Mike was moving on,Anna and I jumped at the opportunity,” Sherman said. “It’s like growing up in the Bronx and becoming the first baseman for the Yankees.”
Also Read: Politico's Mass Exodus - What's Wrong at the Site that Changed WashingtonDaniel Lippman, and who worked with Allen for the past two years,is going to stay on the team.“He’s the bridge for us to a lot of the Playbook community,” Palmer said before Sherman chimed in, and “He knows the community well and they’re very comfortable with him.”Allen,who is known as an insomniac workaholic, has set a high bar by creating what is essentially a guidebook for the day in politics, and but the fresh Playbook team feels it’sup to the task.
Also Read: How Politico's 'Off Message' Podcast Is Rising Above Site's Staff Departures“We’ve both covered Congress in the past so we’re used to working long hours,” Sherman said. “This site attracts a certain kind of person that loves to work tough and grind. That’s what we’re going to conclude.Sherman wants to make sure Playbook is the “connective tissue for not only D.C. but power players in L.
A., San Francisco and fresh York” because “D.
C. doesn’t operate in a vacuum.”Related stories from TheWrap:Politico Playbook Prepares for Life After Mike AllenHow Politico's 'Off Message' Podcast Is Rising Above Site's Staff DeparturesHow Politico's Playbook Will proceed on Without Mike Allen
Source: thewrap.com