• by Tony Silber , March 11, 2022

The global news startup founded by two of the media world’s most prominent figures, ex-Bloomberg Media CEO Justin Smith, and former New York Times media writer Ben Smith, announced two hires in the last two weeks, including the addition last week of the veteran journalist Steve Clemons as editor-at-large and the editorial leader of the venture’s live journalism operations.

Clemons joins another recent hire, The Athletic’s Caitlin Roman as head of product. Her appointment was announced earlier this month. 

The business, which Smith described as “a new kind of global news media company that serves unbiased journalism to a truly global audience,” has the interim name of Project Coda.

“The news industry is facing a crisis in consumer trust and confidence due to the distorting influence of social media and rising levels of polarization and parochialism,” Justin Smith told the Wall Street Journal. “My plan is to launch a premium news business that serves unbiased journalism to a global audience and provides a high-quality platform for the best journalists in the world.”

Clemons comes to Project Coda from The Atlantic, and most recently The Hill, where he served as editor-at-large. He’s both brought together and interviewed dozens of world leaders, CEOs, and political and cultural figures from around the world.

"I often talk about the importance of setting the highest bar possible for talent,” Justin Smith said in a LinkedIn post. “Steve Clemons and Caitlin Roman represent the best of the best. I am so thrilled they’re joining our effort to shake up the global news industry.”

He elaborated for Politico: “Steve is a world-class journalist and entrepreneur with a global view. Understanding Washington and its relationship to the world has never been more important than today. Steve is the leading innovator in live journalism, a major area of focus for our global ambitions."

Justin Smith, who joined Bloomberg in 2013, headed TheAtlantic before that. Ben Smith had been at the Times since March of 2020. Before that he was editor in chief of BuzzFeed, and before that, Politico.