Fayyad named policy correspondent; Just joins as editorial director of audio.
Today, Vox announced that Pulitzer Prize finalist Abdallah Fayyad is joining Vox as a correspondent on the policy team, and Jorge Just will join Vox as editorial director of audio. In his new role, Fayyad will examine the impact of domestic and social policies past, present, and future, including reporting on poverty, housing, criminal justice, and questions of democracy. Just will help chart the course for Vox’s audio future, focusing on the brand’s science and philosophy podcasts, Unexplainable and The Gray Area, and will lead the editorial teams for both shows.
“Jorge is one of the most experienced and creative editors in our industry, and is known for fostering talent and helping shows achieve editorial greatness,” said Swati Sharma, editor-in-chief and publisher of Vox. “He’ll be a fantastic leader for Unexplainable and The Gray Area — two shows that center curiosity and explore big ideas with nuance, originality, and depth.”
Sharma continued, “Abdallah is a sharp reporter and commentator whose work has examined some of our nation’s most foundational policy issues. I’m thrilled to welcome him to the team, where I know his ambitious approach to covering the most complex issues of the day will serve our audience well.”
Fayyad arrives at Vox from the Boston Globe, where he was an editorial board member whose editorials and op-eds focused on the economy, law enforcement, housing, and public transit. He was a 2022 Pulitzer Prize finalist for a series on reforming the American presidency, and a finalist for the Online Journalism Award in commentary. During his time at the Globe, Fayyad shepherded a special project on the US Constitution, which solicited ideas for amendments from scholars, activists, public officials, schoolchildren, and fellow writers. He previously held roles at the Atlantic and covered the George Floyd protests in Washington, DC, for DCist, WAMU, and the Globe. Fayyad has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and other networks, and has guest-hosted a nightly news program on GBH, Boston’s PBS member station.
Just was most recently executive editor at the award-winning podcast production company Gimlet (acquired by Spotify in 2019), where he worked on shows including Every Little Thing, Heavyweight, The Nod, Dysfunctional Family Storytime, and more. Prior to joining Gimlet, he helped create the sound, aesthetic, and editorial vision for Detour, an app for deeply immersive, highly produced, location-based audio stories. Just was spotlighted alongside figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Jimmy Wales for his work with the pioneering rock band OK Go in design legend Bill Moggridge’s book Designing Media.
Just and Fayyad will join Vox in November.
