• by Sara Guaglione , March 21, 2017

Joanne Lipman is the new editor-in-chief of USA Today, the first woman to hold the title at USA Today Network’s flagship publication.

Lipman will also continue to serve as chief content officer of the network.

Lipman joined USA Today’s parent company Gannett over a year ago to create an investigative network for the company’s 110 community newspapers and 3,000 reporters. She was also responsible for consolidating the network’s editorial resources and coordinating news coverage.

Maribel Wadsworth, SVP and chief transformation officer of Gannett, stated Lipman has been pivotal in bringing together USA Today Network’s properties and “accelerating innovation.”

"Having Joanne take on the additional role of editor-in-chief will further focus and drive forward these efforts at USA Today,” Wadsworth added.

In her new role, Lipman will focus on creating more original national content for USA Today’s digital and print platforms.

Lipman was previously the founding editor-in-chief of Condé Nast’s business magazine Portfolio, which shuttered in 2009.

She has served as deputy managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, also the first woman to hold that title. At the WSJ, Lipman created Weekend Journal and Personal Journal and oversaw creation of the paper’s Saturday edition.

Lipman replaces David Callaway, who left USA Today in June 2016 to become CEO of financial news organization TheStreet.

Patty Michalski, who has served as interim editor-in-chief, is now senior director of digital audience development for the USA Today Network and USA Today's executive editor for digital.