The Atlantic is sharing news about four new staff writers: the hire of Ali Breland, most recently at Mother Jones, to report on disinformation and extremism; the promotion of Matteo Wong, previously an associate editor, covering artificial intelligence; and the moves of longtime Atlantic editors Julie Beck and Ellen Cushing to staff-writer positions, covering culture and family. More details on the new roles for all three are below, as announced by deputy editors Paul Bisceglio and Jane Yong Kim.From Paul Bisceglio, announcing Ali’s hire and Matteo’s promotion: Ali arrives from Mother Jones, where he has distinguished himself with his reporting and writing about the intersection of technology, extremism, and politics. In a cover story last year, he profiled the white nationalist Nick Fuentes and explored a hideous culture of neofascist influencers … His feature for The New Republic about Germany’s neo-Nazi resurgence is a finalist in this year’s Livingston Awards; he has covered effective accelerationism, and broken news about racism on the world’s largest NFT platform. Matteo’s promotion will come as no surprise to his colleagues, nor to the many fans of The Atlantic’s conversation-setting AI coverage. Since joining us as an assistant editor in 2022, Matteo has rapidly established himself as a leading voice on AI, guiding us through the field’s promise, dangers, and uncertainty while also delighting us with big ideas about the future of electric vehicles, robot chicken sandwiches, rice cookers, and smelling … Matteo is the full package: a skilled writer, prodigiously talented, and a kind, generous colleague. It’s a gift for us all to have even more of his writing.” From Jane Yong Kim, announcing new roles for Julie, an editor at The Atlantic since 2013 and host of the recent podcast How to Talk to People, and Ellen, who joined The Atlantic in 2018: I’m thrilled to report that Julie Beck will be shifting into a staff-writer role. Julie has steered the Family desk with verve and creativity, shaping an expansive slate of stories—about relationships, parenting, adolescence, how we live, and more—that have resonated deeply with readers. Her work on friendship, in particular, from “The Friendship Files” to ambitious stories that challenge us to rethink the status quo, has been first in class. Julie has always found the time to write original, memorable stories: about why our childhoods were all the same, the dangerous myths pop culture sells about romance, how hobbies infiltrated American life, and her quest to talk with other people named Julie Beck, among many others. Second, I’m very happy to say that Ellen Cushing, who has deftly led the Projects team over the past several years, is also shifting into a staff-writer role. Ellen has brought some of our most ambitious editorial projects to life with ingenuity and vision. She is an elegant, assured reporter who has helped readers understand many of the tangled, confusing parts of our lives: the dystopia that is Amazon Prime Day, the huge impact of Slack on the workplace, the brain fog of the late-stage pandemic, and what it was like growing up as a teenage conspiracist. As a writer, Ellen will focus on the culture, business, science, and politics of food—a subject area that The Atlantic has long wanted to tackle even more robustly. She’ll also contribute to our coverage of internet culture, American childhood, and more.” Please reach out with any questions or requests: press@theatlantic.com.

Today The Atlantic announces Democracy at a Crossroads, a three-stop tour bringing Atlantic writers to colleges and universities across the country to discuss crucial issues shaping the 2024 election cycle. The first event is Thursday, May 2, at 5:30 p.m. PT at the University of Nevada, Reno with Atlantic staff writers Elaina Plott Calabro, Adam Harris, and Ron Brownstein and contributing writer Evan Smith. During the event, Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar will also be interviewed by Jon Ralston, founder of The Nevada Independent, about the importance of free and fair elections. The event in Reno is free, and attendees can RSVP here.During Democracy at a Crossroads, Atlantic journalists will discuss topics that are central to democracy and this election, including: navigating the rise of political polarization, the future of immigration reform, the high stakes for higher education, the gun-control crisis, the social impact of this election, the next era of climate-change reform, and the role of journalism and technology. The tour will continue September 12 in Atlanta at Morehouse College, and will be open to all students in the Atlanta University Center Consortium; and at Michigan State University in October.The Atlantic has made covering persistent threats to democracy a top editorial priority, including the magazine’s recent January/February 2024 issue, If Trump Wins, with essays by 24 Atlantic writers––experts in foreign and domestic policy, economics, and national security––on the consequences if Donald Trump were to be elected again. Its writers have reported a number of extensive recent profiles of elected officials and party leaders such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker Mike Johnson, General Mark Milley, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Senator Mitt Romney.As part of efforts to introduce The Atlantic to new audiences and grow readership among students, last summer The Atlantic launched an academic group subscription, which gives entire student bodies and faculty digital access to The Atlantic’s journalism and 167-year archive. Half a million students and educators can now access The Atlantic through this subscription offering.Press contact for inquiries: press@theatlantic.com